ely not have refused to
see the latter.

"I want you to explain to me what they are trying to do to make Dr.
Claudius give up his property," said Margaret, who looked pale and
beautiful in a morning garment of nondescript shape and of white silken
material. The Duke was sitting by the window, watching a couple of men
preparing to get into a trim dogcart. To tell the truth, the dogcart and
the horse were the objects of interest. His Grace was not aware that the
young men were no less personages than young Mr. Hannibal Q. Sniggins
and young Mr. Orlando Van Sueindell, both of New York, sons of the
"great roads." Either of these young gentlemen could have bought out his
Grace; either of them would have joyfully licked his boots; and either
of them would have protested, within the sacred precincts of their
gorgeous club in New York, that he was a conceited ass of an Englishman.
But his Grace did not know this, or he would certainly have regarded
them with more interest. He was profoundly indifferent to the character
of the people with whom he had to do, whether they were catalogued in
the "book of snobs" or not. It is generally people who are themselves
snobs who call their intimates by that offensive epithet, attributing to
them the sin they fall into themselves. The Duke distinguished between
gentlemen and cads, when it was a question of dining at the same table,
but in matters of business he believed the distinction of no importance.
He came to America for business purposes, and he took Americans as he
found them. He thought they were very good men of business, and when it
came to associating with them on any other footing, he thought some of
them were gentlemen and some were not--pretty much as it is everywhere
else. So he watched the young men getting into their dogcart, and he
thought the whole turn-out looked "very fit."

"Really," he began, in answer to the Countess's question, "--upon my
word, I don't know much about it. At least, I suppose not."

"Oh, I thought you did," said Margaret, taking up a book and a
paper-cutter. "I thought it must be something rather serious, or he
would not have been obliged to go abroad to get papers about it."

"Well, you know, after all, he--aw--" the Duke reddened--"he--well yes,
exactly so."

"Yes?" said Margaret interrogatively, expecting something more.

"Exactly," said the Duke, still red, but determined not to say anything.
He had not promised Claudius not to say he could