day, he liked to be with Theo
and Hester, and good Mrs. Lambert; but pleasure, life, gaiety, the
desire to shine and to conquer, had also their temptations for the lad,
who seized the cup like other lads, and did not care to calculate on
the headache in store for the morning. Whilst he and his cousin were
talking, the fiddles from the open orchestra on the Parade made a great
tuning and squeaking, preparatory to their usual evening concert. Maria
knew her aunt was awake again, and that she must go back to her slavery.
Harry never asked about that slavery, though he must have known it, had
he taken the trouble to think. He never pitied his cousin. He was not
thinking about her at all. Yet when his mishap befell him, she had been
wounded far more cruelly than he was. He had scarce ever been out of her
thoughts, which of course she had had to bury under smiling hypocrisies,
as is the way with her sex. I know, my dear Mrs. Grundy, you think she
was an old fool? Ah! do you suppose fools' caps do not cover grey hair,
as well as jet or auburn? Bear gently with our elderly fredaines, O you
Minerva of a woman! Or perhaps you are so good and wise that you don't
read novels at all. This I know, that there are late crops of wild oats,
as well as early harvests of them; and (from observation of self and
neighbour) I have an idea that the avena fatua grows up to the very last
days of the year.

Like worldly parents anxious to get rid of a troublesome child, and go
out to their evening party, Madame Bernstein and her attendants had put
the sun to bed, whilst it was as yet light, and had drawn the curtains
over it, and were busy about their cards and their candles, and their
tea and negus, and other refreshments. One chair after another landed
ladies at the Baroness's door, more or less painted, patched, brocaded.
To these came gentlemen in gala raiment. Mr. Poellnitz's star was the
largest, and his coat the most embroidered of all present. My Lord of
March and Ruglen, when he made his appearance, was quite changed from
the individual with whom Harry had made acquaintance at the White Horse.
His tight brown scratch was exchanged for a neatly curled feather
top, with a bag and grey powder, his jockey-dress and leather breeches
replaced by a rich and elegant French suit. Mr. Jack Morris had just
such another wig and a suit of stuff as closely as possible resembling
his lordship's. Mr. Wolfe came in attendance upon his beautiful
mistress,