eemed, so to speak, to snatch up the little cart,
my great-grandmother, and Adolphe, and to run off with them at a good
round pace.

"What an extraordinary turn-out!" said the Surgeon's wife. (She was an
Irish attorney's daughter, with the commonest of faces, and the most
unprecedented of bonnets. She and her husband had lately "set up" a
waggonette, the expense of which just made it difficult for them to live
upon their means, and the varnish of which added a care to life.) "Fancy
driving down High Street in that!" she continued; "and just when
everybody is going out, too!"

"Uncommon sensible little affair, I think," said the Surgeon. "Suits the
old lady capitally."

"Mrs. Vandaleur," said Major Buller, "can afford to be independent of
appearances to an extent that would not perhaps be safe for most of us."

"You're right there, Buller," said the Surgeon. "Wonderfully queenly she
is! That fur cloak looks like an ermine robe on her."

"I don't think you'd like to see me in it!" tittered his wife.

"I don't say I should," returned the Surgeon, rather smartly.

"My dear," said Mrs. Buller, "you must make up your mind to be jealous
of the Duchess. All gentlemen are mad about her."

"The Duchess!" said Mrs. O'Connor, in a tone of respect. "I thought you
said----"

"Oh, she is not really a duchess, my dear; it's only a nickname. I'll
tell you all about it some day. It's a long story."

Discovering that Mrs. Vandaleur was a family connection, and not a
chance visitor from the neighbourhood, Mrs. O'Connor apologized for her
remarks, and tried to extract the Duchess's history from Aunt Theresa
then and there. But Mrs. Buller would only promise to tell it "another
time."

"I'm dying with curiosity," said Mrs. O'Connor, as she took leave, "I
shall run in to-morrow afternoon on purpose to hear all about it. Can
you do with me, dear Mrs. Buller?"

"Pray come," said Aunt Theresa warmly, with an amiable disregard of two
engagements and some arrears of domestic business.

I was in the drawing-room next day when Mrs. O'Connor arrived.

"May I come in, dear Mrs. Buller?" she said, "I won't stay two minutes;
but I _must_ hear about the Duchess. Now, _are_ you busy?"

"Not at all," said Aunt Theresa, who was in the midst of making up her
tradesmen's books. "Pray sit down, and take off your bonnet."

"It's hardly worth while, for I _can't_ stay," said Mrs. O'Connor,
taking her bonnet off, and setting it down so as not t