ous on his behalf as his
well-attested popularity. At any rate, poor Sir Magnus had always been
well placed, and was now working out his last year or two before the
blessed achievement of his pursuit should have been reached. Sir Magnus
had a wife of whom it was said at home that she was almost as popular as
her husband; but the opinion of the world at Brussels on this subject
was a good deal divided. There were those who declared that Lady
Mountjoy was of all women the most overbearing and impertinent. But they
were generally English residents at Brussels, who had come to live there
as a place at which education for their children would be cheaper than
at home. Of these Lady Mountjoy had been heard to declare that she saw
no reason why, because she was the minister's wife, she should be
expected to entertain all the second-class world of London. This, of
course, must be understood with a good deal of allowance, as the English
world at Brussels was much too large to expect to be so received; but
there were certain ladies living on the confines of high society who
thought that they had a right to be admitted, and who grievously
resented their exclusion. It cannot, therefore, be said that Lady
Mountjoy was popular; but she was large in figure, and painted well, and
wore her diamonds with an air which her peculiar favorites declared to
be majestic. You could not see her going along the boulevards in her
carriage without being aware that a special personage was passing. Upon
the whole, it may be said that she performed well her special role in
life. Of Sir Magnus it was hinted that he was afraid of his wife; but in
truth he desired it to be understood that all the disagreeable things
done at the Embassy were done by Lady Mountjoy, and not by him. He did
not refuse leave to the ladies to drop their cards at his hall-door. He
could ask a few men to his table without referring the matter to his
wife; but every one would understand that the asking of ladies was based
on a different footing.

He knew well that as a rule it was not fitting that he should ask a
married man without his wife; but there are occasions on which an excuse
can be given, and upon the whole the men liked it. He was a stout, tall,
portly old gentleman, sixty years of age, but looking somewhat older,
whom it was a difficulty to place on horseback, but who, when there,
looked remarkably well. He rarely rose to a trot during his two hours of
exercise, which to