beside her. The young man looked somewhat bored;
his hands were thrust into his pockets and his eyes were fixed upon the
toes of his shoes, his feet being thrust out in front of him. Madame de
Bellegarde appeared to have been talking to him with some intensity and
to be waiting for an answer to what she had said, or for some sign of
the effect of her words. Her hands were folded in her lap, and she was
looking at his lordship's simple physiognomy with an air of politely
suppressed irritation.

Lord Deepmere looked up as Newman approached, met his eyes, and changed
color.

"I am afraid I disturb an interesting interview," said Newman.

Madame de Bellegarde rose, and her companion rising at the same time,
she put her hand into his arm. She answered nothing for an instant, and
then, as he remained silent, she said with a smile, "It would be polite
for Lord Deepmere to say it was very interesting."

"Oh, I'm not polite!" cried his lordship. "But it was interesting."

"Madame de Bellegarde was giving you some good advice, eh?" said Newman;
"toning you down a little?"

"I was giving him some excellent advice," said the marquise, fixing her
fresh, cold eyes upon our hero. "It's for him to take it."

"Take it, sir--take it," Newman exclaimed. "Any advice the marquise
gives you to-night must be good. For to-night, marquise, you must speak
from a cheerful, comfortable spirit, and that makes good advice. You see
everything going on so brightly and successfully round you. Your party
is magnificent; it was a very happy thought. It is much better than that
thing of mine would have been."

"If you are pleased I am satisfied," said Madame de Bellegarde. "My
desire was to please you."

"Do you want to please me a little more?" said Newman. "Just drop
our lordly friend; I am sure he wants to be off and shake his heels a
little. Then take my arm and walk through the rooms."

"My desire was to please you," the old lady repeated. And she liberated
Lord Deepmere, Newman rather wondering at her docility. "If this young
man is wise," she added, "he will go and find my daughter and ask her to
dance."

"I have been indorsing your advice," said Newman, bending over her and
laughing, "I suppose I must swallow that!"

Lord Deepmere wiped his forehead and departed, and Madame de Bellegarde
took Newman's arm. "Yes, it's a very pleasant, sociable entertainment,"
the latter declared, as they proceeded on their circuit. "Every one
seems