the Erymanth atmosphere,
whatever he might be out of it, and not at all happy with Viola, who
was wont to tease and laugh at him.

It was a save-trouble dinner, as informal as the St. Glear nature and
servants permitted. Lord Erymanth carved, and took care that Harold
should not starve, and he was evidently trying to turn the talk into
such a direction as to show his sister what his guests were; but
Eustace's tongue was, of course, the ready one, and answered glibly
about closed beershops, projected cottages, and the complete drainage
of the Alfy--nay, that as to Bullock and Ogden hearing reason, he had
only to go over in person and the thing was done; the farmyard was
actually set to rights, and no difficulty at all was made as to the
further improvements now that the landlord had once shown himself
concerned. That was all that was wanting. And the funny part of it
was that he actually believed it.

Dermot could not help saying to Harold, "Didn't I see you applying a
few practical arguments?"

Harold made a sign with his head, with a deprecatory twinkle in his
eye, recollecting how infra dig Eustace thought his exploit. The party
was too small for more than one conversation, so that when the earl
began to relate his experiences of the difficulties of dealing with
farmers and cottagers, all had to listen in silence, and I saw the
misery of restless sleepiness produced by the continuous sound of his
voice setting in upon Harold, and under it I had to leave him, on my
departure with Lady Diana and her daughter, quaking in my satin shoes
at the splendid graciousness I saw in preparation for me; but I was
kept all the time on the outer surface; Lady Diana did not choose to be
intimate enough even to give good advice, so that I was very glad when
the carriages were heard and the gentlemen joined us, Harold hastily
handing to Viola the squirting violets which she had left behind her on
the dining-table, and which he had carefully concealed from Eustace,
but, alas! only to have them forgotten again, or, maybe, with a little
malice, deposited in the keeping of the brazen satyr on the ante-room
chimney-piece.

Dermot had already claimed my first dance, causing a strange thrill of
pain, as I missed the glance which always used to regret without
forbidding my becoming his partner. Viola was asked in due form by
Eustace, and accepted him with alacrity, which he did not know to be
due to her desire to escape from Piggy. M