of all the spectacle, with their coquettish hats, and their
half-veiled and half-revealed under-raiment scarlet and silver, or blue
and gold, made up a sparkling and modish scene.

Lothair, who had left the players for a while, and was regaining the
lawn, met the duchess.

"Your grace is not going to leave us, I hope?" he said, rather
anxiously.

"For a moment. I have long promised to visit the new dairy; and I think
this a good opportunity."

"I wish I might be your companion," said Lothair; and, invited, he was
by her grace's side.

They turned into a winding walk of thick and fragrant shrubs, and,
after a while, they approached a dell, surrounded with, high trees
that environed it with perpetual shade; in the centre of the dell was
apparently a Gothic shrine, fair in design and finished in execution,
and this was the duchess's new dairy. A pretty sight is a first-rate
dairy, with its flooring of fanciful tiles, and its cool and shrouded
chambers, its stained windows and its marble slabs, and porcelain pans
of cream, and plenteous platters of fantastically-formed butter.

"Mrs. Woods and her dairy-maids look like a Dutch picture," said the
duchess. "Were you ever in Holland?"

"I have never been anywhere," said Lothair.

"You should travel," said the duchess.

"I have no wish," said Lothair.

"The duke has given me some Coreean fowls," said the duchess to Mrs.
Woods, when they had concluded their visit. "Do you think you could take
care of them for me?"

"Well, Grace, I am sure I will do my best; but then they are very,
troublesome, and I was not fortunate with my Cochin. I had rather they
were sent to the aviary, Grace, if it were all the same."

"I should so like to see the aviary," said Lothair.

"Well, we will go."

And this rather extended their walk, and withdrew them more from the
great amusement of the day.

"I wish your grace would do me a great favor," said Lothair, abruptly
breaking a rather prolonged silence.

"And what is that?" said the duchess.

"It is a very great favor," repeated Lothair.

"If it be in my power to grant it, its magnitude would only be an
additional recommendation."

"Well," said Lothair, blushing deeply, and speaking with much agitation,
"I would ask your grace's permission to offer my hand to your daughter."

The duchess I looked amazed. "Corisande!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, to Lady Corisande."

"Corisande," replied the duchess, after a pause, "has absolutel