182 A BALL ROOM, ANB A BELLE. 



ton, whose partner had just seated her on a sofa be- 

 side a portly old dowager, and bowed himself off with 

 a simper. 



She was on an errand of good nature, for she was 

 very, really, good natured; and in spite of all her 

 little flirtations, and coquetries, and her love of admi- 

 ration, and passion for making men in love with her 

 for whom she did not care a straw, and her little, free, 

 naughty speeches — there was not a bit of harm in her 

 — not a bit. Not a breath even of calumny ever 

 soiled the whiteness of her ermine, and all the world 

 wondered how she could be so good a wife, and so pre- 

 serve her kindness of heart and purity of soul, when 

 coupled to so heartless, sensual a snob as Lord Che- 

 shire ; when exposed daily to the contamination of his 

 presence, his conversation, his atmosphere, which cor- 

 rupted all men^ even, who ever came within reach of 

 his contagion, 



Fairfax obeyed orders, and talked with prosy old 

 Lord Glenlivat about Burgundy and Verzenay, the 

 only topics within the sphere of that noble intellect ; 

 but still he kept a furtive watch upon the pretty move- 

 ments of the pretty creatures opposite. 



They shook hands, and smiled, and Mary Merton 

 blushed a little, and looked down ; and Lady Cheshire 

 talked earnestly and eagerly, and looked toward him- 

 self, and Mary half raised her eyes, and then blushed 

 more, and looked down more. And then Lady Ches. 

 talked more eagerly, and gesticulated more, and then 

 laughed heartily, and made Mary Merton laugh 

 heartily too, and then blush more. And so, after a 

 chat of some ten minutes, she came swimming back 

 with a very merry eye and a malicious smile. 



" There, I told you so. She'll be very happy." 



" It took you a hard struggle to mnkc her very 

 happy.' 



^' I didn't. I leave you to do that. Come, give mo 



