uire John was already an old man when I was your age; but I
did not sell myself for his wealth, as you have done!) "Well, you are a
lucky fellow, Karpathy, _you_, at any rate, have nothing to complain of.
A wife so worthy of your love as yours is, is a treasure you really do
not deserve" (_i.e._ Don't give yourself airs, you little fool! Don't
fancy people praise you for your beauty as if it were a merit! You ought
to be ashamed that it is only your beauty that has made a lady of you!).

Here Dame Marion lost for a moment the thread of her discourse, which
gave Flora an opportunity of bending over Fanny and whispering in her
ear, in a gentle, confidential voice--

"I have long wished to meet you, and have been on the point of coming
over every day."

Fanny gratefully pressed her hand.

A beneficent attack of coughing here prevented Dame Marion from resuming
her conversation. Karpathy inquired after his friend Rudolf, Lady
Flora's husband, expressing the hope that he would not forget his
promise to honour Karpatfalva with his presence on the occasion of the
entertainment that was coming off there in honour of the young bride.

"Oh, he must be here by then," replied Flora; "he gave me his word that
he would be back home in time for it."

Then turning towards Fanny, Flora continued, "I have been expecting to
meet you everywhere. We country-folks about here are pretty lively, and
are always delighted to see our circle increased; and now that we have
met at last, we will conspire amiably together to make every one around
us feel happy."

Dame Marion, however, at once hastened to weaken any pleasant impression
which these words might have produced.

"Karpathy naturally makes a mystery of his wife's whereabouts. The sly
rogue would hide her away, so that nobody may catch a glance of her but
himself"--(_i.e._ the old fool is afraid to show her, and with good
reason).

"Oh, my husband is most kind and obliging," Fanny hastened to object;
"but I must own to feeling a sort of hesitation--I might even call it
fear--at the prospect of appearing in such lofty circles. I was brought
up among quite simple folks, and I feel exceedingly obliged to your
ladyships for giving me so much encouragement."

"Naturally, naturally!" returned Dame Marion. "It is most natural, and
could not very well be otherwise. A young wife is in the most difficult
position conceivable when she first makes her entry into the great
world; especially w