as he came
towards us, but Lady Grenellen moved her skirts and made room for him
on her sofa. She smiled at him divinely, and was perfectly lovely to
him--as friendly and caressing as if he were an equal. It perfectly
astonished me. I could not talk and joke familiarly that with Augustus
any more than if he were one of the footmen. And she is a viscountess,
and must at least know what a gentleman is.

Half the party moved off to play bridge in one of the drawing-rooms;
the rest arranged themselves comfortably, two and two. Lady Tilchester
and Mr. Budge wandered into the music-room, and I, who had not
stirred, found myself almost alone by the fireplace with the Duke.

He proceeded to say a number of things to me that astonished me
greatly. I should not have understood them all had I not been to those
plays in Paris.

I suppose he was beginning to make love to me--if this is what is
called making love. His personality is not attractive, so it did not
touch me at all, and I am only able to look upon men now through eyes
which see coarse brutes. Perhaps they may be really nice, some of
them, but as I look at them one after another, the thought always
comes, how revolting could they appear in the eyes of their wives?
This is not nice of me, and I am sure grandmamma would reprove me for
it.

III

Next day, Sunday, some of us went to church. Augustus insisted upon my
going. He thought it would be a good opportunity of showing I was in
Lady Tilchester's company, although what it could have mattered to the
Harley villagers I do not know.

He himself stayed behind with Lady Grenellen, he said, to take her for
a walk in the woods.

After lunch every one seemed to play bridge but Lady Tilchester and I
and her politician and the weak-eyed Duke. We climbed the hill to the
ruins of the old castle and there sat until tea-time.

"Isn't it a bore for me I shall have to marry an heiress?" the Duke
said, pathetically. "Marriage is the most tiresome ennui at any time,
but to be forced through sheer beggary to take some ugly woman you
don't like and don't want is cruel hard luck, is it not?"

"Yes," I said, feelingly.

He was melted by the sympathy in my voice.

"You are a delicious woman; you seem to understand one directly.
People have got into the way of thinking it is no hardship to have to
do these things for the sake of one's title, but I can see you are
sympathetic."

"Yes, indeed!" I said.

"Cordelia Grene