"But it is the strangest whim of yours, Harley," said he. "What?" "To affect detestation of ground-floors." "Affect! O sophisticated man, of the earth, earthy! Affect!--nothing less natural to the human soul than a ground-floor. We are quite far enough from heaven, mount as many stairs as we will, without grovelling by preference. "According to that symbolical view of the case," said Audley, "you should lodge in an attic." "So I would, but that I abhor new slippers. As for hair-brushes, I am indifferent!" "What have slippers and hair-brushes to do with attics?" "Try! Make your bed in an attic, and the next morning you will have neither slippers nor hair-brushes!" "What shall I have done with them?" "Shied them at the cats!" "What odd things you do say, Harley!" "Odd! By Apollo and his nine spinsters! there is no human being who has so little imagination as a distinguished Member of Parliament. Answer me this, thou solemn right honourable,--Hast thou climbed to the heights of august contemplation? Hast thou gazed on the stars with the rapt eye of song? Hast thou dreamed of a love known to the angels, or sought to seize in the Infinite the mystery of life?" "Not I indeed, my poor Harley." "Then no wonder, poor Audley, that you cannot conjecture why he who makes his bed in an attic, disturbed by base catterwauls, shies his slippers at cats. Bring a chair into the balcony. Nero spoiled my cigar to-night. I am going to smoke now. You never smoke. You can look on the shrubs in the Square." Audley slightly shrugged his shoulders, but he followed his friend's counsel and example, and brought his chair into the balcony. Nero came too, but at sight and smell of the cigar prudently retreated, and took refuge under the table. "Audley Egerton, I want something from Government." "I am delighted to hear it." "There was a cornet in my regiment, who would have done better not to have come into it. We were, for the most part of us, puppies and fops." "You all fought well, however."