ases from the Hydriot
potteries as during this last quarter. Who could be complimented upon
this happy state of things save the chairman? And who could
appropriate the compliment more readily or with greater delight? Even
I felt that it would be cruel high treason to demonstrate which was the
mere chess king.

Poor Eustace! Harold had infected me enough with care for him to like
to see him in such glory, though somewhat restless as to the
appearances of this first state dinner of ours, and at Harold's
absence; but, happily, the well-known step was in the hall before our
guest came downstairs, and Eustace dashed out to superintend the
toilette that was to be as worthy of meeting with an earl as nature and
garments would permit. "Fit to be seen?" I heard Harold growl. "Of
course I do when I dine with Lucy, and this is only an old man."

Eustace and Richardson had disinterred and brushed up Harold's only
black suit (ordered as mourning for his wife, and never worn but at his
uncle's funeral); but three years' expansion of chest and shoulder had
made it pinion him so as to lessen the air of perfect ease which,
without being what is called grace, was goodly to look upon. Eustace's
studs were in his shirt, and the unnatural shine on his tawny hair too
plainly revealed the perfumeries that crowded the young squire's
dressing-table. With the purest intentions of kindness Eustace had
done his best to disguise a demigod as a lout.

We had a diner a la Russe, to satisfy Eustace's aspirations as to the
suitable. I had been seeking resources for it all the afternoon and
building up erections with Richardson and Colman; and when poor Harold,
who had been out in the snow with nothing to eat since breakfast,
beheld it, he exclaimed, "Lucy, why did you not tell me? I could have
gone over to Mycening and brought you home a leg of mutton."

"Don't expose what a cub you are!" muttered the despairing Eustace. "It
is a deena a la Roos."

"I thought the Russians ate blubber," observed Harold, somewhat
unfeelingly, though I don't think he saw the joke; but I managed to
reassure him, sotto voce, as to there being something solid in the
background. He was really ravenous, and it was a little comedy to see
the despairing contempt with which he regarded the dainty little
mouthfuls that the cook viewed with triumph, and Eustace in equal
misery at his savage appetite; while Lord Erymanth, far too real a
gentleman to be shocked at a ma