“Oh, present him, by all means. Let us have him here,” said Lady Lackington, eagerly. “What does that little man mean by smirking in that fashion,--who is he?” asked she, as Mr. O'Reilly passed and repassed before her, making some horrible grimaces that he intended to have represented as fascinations. “On no account, my Lord,” said Lady Lackington, as though replying to a look of entreaty from his Lordship. “But you 'd really be amused,” said he, smiling. “It is about the best bit of low comedy--” “I detest low comedy.” “The father of your fair friends, is it not?” asked Lady Grace, languidly. “Yes. Twining admires them vastly,” said his Lordship, half maliciously. “If I might venture--” “Oh dear, no; not to me,” said Lady Grace, shuddering. “I have little tolerance for what are called characters. You may present your Hebrew friend, if you like.” “He's going to dance with the Princess; and there goes Twining, with one of my beauties, I declare,” said Lord Lackington. “I say, Spicer, what is that dark lot, near the door?” “American trotters, my Lord; just come over.” “You know them, don't you?” “I met them yesterday at dinner, and shall be delighted to introduce your Lordship. Indeed, they asked me if you were not the Lord that was so intimate with the Prince of Wales.” “How stupid! They might have known, even without the aid of a Peerage, that I was a schoolboy when the Prince was a grown man. The tall girl is good-looking; what's her name?” “She's the daughter of the Honorable Leonidas Shinbone, that's all I know,--rather a belle at Saratoga, I fancy.” “Very dreadful!” sighed Lady Grace, fanning herself; “they do make such a mess of what might be very pretty toilette. You could n't tell her, perhaps, that her front hair is dressed for the back of the head.” “No, sir; I never play at cards,” said Lord Lackington, stiffly, as an American gentleman offered him a pack to draw from. “Only a little bluff or a small party of poker,” said the stranger, “for quarter dollars, or milder, if you like it.” A cold bow of refusal was the reply. “I told you he was the Lord,” said a friend, in a drawling accent “He looks as if he 'd 'mow us all down like grass.'” Dr. Lanfranchi, the director of the establishment, here interposed, and, by a few words, induced the Americans to retire and leave the others unmolested. “Thank you, doctor,” said Lady Lackington, in acknowledgment; “your tact is always considerate,--always prompt.” “These things never happen in the season, my Lady,” said he, with a very slight foreign accentuation of the words. “It is only at times like this that people--very excellent and amiable people, doubtless--” “Oh, to be sure they are,” interrupted she, impatiently; “but let us speak of something else. Is that your clairvoyant Princess yonder?”