closely those two had grown to each other, and
how all the proud, grim old man's ambition and hope and love centered
themselves in the child, and how the warm, innocent nature returned his
affection with most perfect trust and good faith.

She knew, too, that the prime reason for the great dinner party was the
Earl's secret desire to show the world his grandson and heir, and to let
people see that the boy who had been so much spoken of and described was
even a finer little specimen of boyhood than rumor had made him.

"Bevis and Maurice were such a bitter humiliation to him," she said to
her husband. "Every one knew it. He actually hated them. His pride
has full sway here." Perhaps there was not one person who accepted the
invitation without feeling some curiosity about little Lord Fauntleroy,
and wondering if he would be on view.

And when the time came he was on view.

"The lad has good manners," said the Earl. "He will be in no one's
way. Children are usually idiots or bores,--mine were both,--but he can
actually answer when he's spoken to, and be silent when he is not. He is
never offensive."

But he was not allowed to be silent very long. Every one had something
to say to him. The fact was they wished to make him talk. The ladies
petted him and asked him questions, and the men asked him questions too,
and joked with him, as the men on the steamer had done when he crossed
the Atlantic. Fauntleroy did not quite understand why they laughed so
sometimes when he answered them, but he was so used to seeing people
amused when he was quite serious, that he did not mind. He thought the
whole evening delightful. The magnificent rooms were so brilliant with
lights, there were so many flowers, the gentlemen seemed so gay, and
the ladies wore such beautiful, wonderful dresses, and such sparkling
ornaments in their hair and on their necks. There was one young lady
who, he heard them say, had just come down from London, where she had
spent the "season"; and she was so charming that he could not keep his
eyes from her. She was a rather tall young lady with a proud little
head, and very soft dark hair, and large eyes the color of purple
pansies, and the color on her cheeks and lips was like that of a rose.
She was dressed in a beautiful white dress, and had pearls around her
throat. There was one strange thing about this young lady. So many
gentlemen stood near her, and seemed anxious to please her, that
Fauntleroy thought she