e;
and though from Mr. Paul's expanded cheeks and violent gesticulation it
was evident he was in full chant, nothing could be heard save the scream
of laughing which shook the building--an emotion certainly not the
less difficult to repress, as Mrs. Paul, shaking her hand at him with
passionate energy, called out--

'Oh, the baste! he thinks he's on circuit this minit!' As for myself,
half choking and with sore sides, I never recovered till I reached the
street, when O'Grady dragged me along, saying as he did so--

'We must reach home at once. Nothing but a strong alibi will save my
character.'

CHAPTER LIX. FRESCATI'S

I was not sorry when I heard the following morning that my mother would
not appear before dinner-hour. I dreaded the chance of any allusion to
Miss Bellow's name requiring explanation on my part; and the more so,
as I myself was utterly lost in conjectures as to the reason of her
singular reception of me.

Julia, too, appeared more out of spirits than usual She pleaded fatigue;
but I could see that something lay heavily on her mind. She conversed
with evident effort, and seemed to have a difficulty in recalling her
faculties to the ordinary topics of the day. A thought struck me that
perhaps De Vere's conduct might have given cause for her depression;
and gradually I drew the conversation to the mention of his name, when I
soon became undeceived on this point. She told me with perfect unconcern
how my father had tracked out the whole line of his duplicity and
calumny regarding me, and had followed the matter up by a representation
to the duke at the head of the army, who immediately commanded his
retirement from the Guards. Later on, his family influence had obtained
his appointment as _attache_ to the embassy at Paris; but since their
first rupture he had discontinued his visits, and now had ceased to be
acknowledged by them when they met.

My cousin's melancholy not being then attributable to anything connected
with De Vere, I set myself to work to ascertain whence it proceeded; and
suddenly the thought struck me that perhaps my mother's surmise might
have some foundation, and that Julia, feeling an affection for me, might
have been hurt at my evident want of attention towards her since we met.

I have already begged of my reader to separate such suspicions from the
coxcombry of the lady-killer, who deems every girl he meets his victim.
If I did for a moment imagine that my cousin liked m