erengaria, even had he wished it; but it was not all clear that he did
wish it, and it seemed that he talked as much to her sisters and the
laughing cousins as to herself, but still he did not go away, which was
most strange, and commenced to be embarrassing.

At last one evening, both her parents slumbering, one over the newspaper
and the other over her work, and the rest of the party in a distant
room playing at some new game amid occasional peals of laughter, Lord
Montfort, who had been sitting for some time by Lady Berengaria's side,
and only asking now and then a question, though often a searching one,
in order to secure her talking to him, rather abruptly said, "I wonder
if anything would ever induce you to marry me?"

This was the most startling social event of the generation. Society
immediately set a-wondering how it would turn out, and proved very
clearly that it must turn out badly. Men who knew Montfort well at Paris
looked knowing, and said they would give it six months.

But the lady was as remarkable a woman as the bridegroom was in his
sex. Lady Berengaria was determined to be the Queen of Society, and had
confidence in her unlimited influence over man. It is, however, rather
difficult to work on the feelings of a man who has no heart. This she
soon found out, and to her dismay, but she kept it a profound secret.
By endless ingenuity on her part, affairs went on very well much longer
than the world expected, and long enough to fulfil the object of Lady
Berengaria's life. Lord Montfort launched his wife well, and seemed
even content to be occasionally her companion until she had mounted
the social throne. He was proud of her as he would be of one of his
beautiful horses; but when all the world had acknowledged the influence
of Berengaria, he fell into one of his old moods, and broke to her that
he could bear it no longer, and that he must retire from society. Lady
Montfort looked distressed, but, resolved under no circumstances to be
separated from her husband, whom she greatly admired, and to whom,
had he wished it, she could have become even passionately attached,
signified her readiness to share his solitude. But she then found
out that this was not what he wanted. It was not only retirement from
society, but retirement from Lady Montfort, that was indispensable. In
short, at no time of his perverse career had Lord Montfort been more
wilful.

During the last years of his residence in Paris, when he