is after all, eh? Just crawling alive with snobs! Everyone’s on their knees to a title, and the sight of a lord seems to give the average Britisher a fit. Now look at me! I don’t care a cent about your dukes and earls. Why should I? I’m always with ’em--fact is, they can’t bear to have me out of their sight! Lady Belinda Boomall--second daughter of the Duke of Borrowdom,--she’s just mad on me! She thinks I’ve got money, and I let her! It’s real fun! And as to the Marchioness Golfhouse--she’s up to some games _I_ tell you! _She_ knows a thing or two! My word!” Here he gives vent to a sound suggestive of something between a sneeze and a snigger which is his own particular way of rendering the laugh satirical. “I always get on with your blue-blooded girls!”--he proceeds; “I guess they’re pretty tired of their own men hulking round! They take to an Am_urr_ican as ducks take to water. See all those cards?”--pointing in a casual way to half a dozen or so of pasteboard slips littered on the mantelshelf, among which the discerning observer might certainly see one or two tradesmen’s advertisements--“They just shower ’em on me! I’ve got an ‘at home’ to-night and a ball afterwards--to-morrow I breakfast at Marlborough House;--then lunch with Lady Adelaide Sparkler,--she drives me in the Park afterwards--and in the evening I dine at St. James’ Palace and go to the Opera with the Rothschilds. It’s always like that with me! I never have a moment to myself. All these people want me. Lady Adelaide Sparkler declares she cannot possibly do without me! I ought to have been at Stafford House this afternoon--great show on there--but I can’t be bothered!--the Duchess is just too trying for words sometimes! Of course it’s all a question of connection;--they know who I am and all about my ancestors, and that makes ’em so anxious to have me. You know who my ancestors were?”