g; and
when Lady Cunyngham discovered that she was an old companion and
fellow-student of Lionel's, she was much interested, and would have him
tell her all about his experiences in Naples. And again Miss Honnor
recurred to the difference between amateur and professional acting, that
seemed to have struck her so forcibly the previous night.

[Illustration: "_'Why, you seem to know everybody, Mr. Moore!' she said
to him, with a smile._"]

"Really, Mr. Moore," said she, "you must have an astonishing amount of
good-nature and tolerance. If I had complete command of any art, and saw
a band of amateurs attempting something in it and not even conscious of
their own amateurishness, I don't know whether I should be more inclined
to laugh or to be angry. I used to be amused, up there in Strathaivron,
with the confidence Georgie Lestrange showed in singing a duet with
you--"

"Ah, but Miss Lestrange sings very well," said he. "And, you know, if
Lady Adela and her sisters perform a piece like "The Chaplet"--well,
that is a Watteau-like sort of thing--Sevres china--force or passion of
any kind isn't wanted--it's all artificial, and confessedly so. And
then, when the professional actor finds himself acting with amateurs, I
dare say he modifies himself a little--"

"Becomes an amateur, in short," she said.

"In a measure. Otherwise he would be a regular bull in a china shop. And
surely, when you get a number of people in a remote place like
Strathaivron, the efforts of amateurs to amuse them should be encouraged
and approved. I thought it was very unselfish of them--very kind--though
they generally succeeded in sending Lord Fareborough to bed. By the way,
Miss Cunyngham, did Lord Fareborough ever get a stag?"

For it was observable that this young man, whenever he got the chance,
was anxious to lead away the conversation from the theatre and all
things pertaining thereunto, and would rather talk about Strathaivron
and salmon-fishing and Miss Honnor's plans with regard to the coming
year.

"Oh, no," she said, "he never went out but that once, and then he nearly
killed himself, according to his own account. We never quite knew what
happened; there was some dark mystery that Roderick wouldn't explain;
and, you know, Lord Fareborough himself is rather short-tempered. He
ought not to have gone out--a man who has imagined himself into that
hypochondriacal state. However, it has given him an excuse for thinking
himself a greate