teness to tell that
to a lady like the Honourable Mrs. M'Catch ley! You'll excuse him,
ma'am."

"Sir!" said Mrs. M'Catchley, startled, and lifting her glass. Leonard,
rather confused, rose and offered his chair to Richard, who dropped into
it. The lady, without waiting for formal introduction, guessed that she
saw the rich uncle. "Such a sweet poet-Burns!" said she, dropping her
glass. "And it is so refreshing to find so much youthful enthusiasm,"
she added, pointing her fan towards Leonard, who was receding fast among
the crowd.

"Well, he is youthful, my nephew,--rather green!"

"Don't say green!" said Mrs. M'Catchley. Richard blushed scarlet. He was
afraid he had committed himself to some expression low and shocking. The
lady resumed, "Say unsophisticated."

"A tarnation long word," thought Richard; but he prudently bowed and
held his tongue.

"Young men nowadays," continued Mrs. M'Catchley, resettling herself on
the sofa, "affect to be so old. They don't dance, and they don't read,
and they don't talk much! and a great many of them wear toupets before
they are two-and-twenty!"

Richard mechanically passed his hand through his thick curls. But he
was still mute; he was still ruefully chewing the cud of the epithet
"green." What occult horrid meaning did the word convey to ears polite?
Why should he not say "green"?

"A very fine young man your nephew, sir," resumed Mrs. M' Catchley.

Richard grunted.

"And seems full of talent. Not yet at the University? Will he go to
Oxford or Cambridge?"

"I have not made up my mind yet if I shall send him to the University at
all."

"A young man of his expectations!" exclaimed Mrs. M'Catchley, artfully.

"Expectations!" repeated Richard, firing up. "Has he been talking to you
of his expectations?"

"No, indeed, sir. But the nephew of the rich Mr. Avenel! Ah, one hears
a great deal, you know, of rich people; it is the penalty of wealth, Mr.
Avenel!"

Richard was very much flattered. His crest rose.

"And they say," continued Mrs. M'Catchley, dropping out her words very
slowly, as she adjusted her blonde scarf, "that Mr. Avenel has resolved
not to marry."

"The devil they do, ma'am!" bolted out Richard, gruffly; and then,
ashamed of his lapsus linguae, screwed up his lips firmly, and glared on
the company with an eye of indignant fire.

Mrs. M'Catchley observed him over her fan. Richard turned abruptly, and
she withdrew her eyes modestly, and raised the fan.