“Delightful state,” says Sir Bloomer;--“Always in hot water,” growls Mulligatawney. “Lovely woman; affectionate nurse; take care of you when you’re ill,” pleads the one;--“Cross as two sticks; open carriage in an east wind; give a ball when you’ve got the gout,” urges the other. “Interchange of sentiment; linked in rosy chains; heaven upon earth,” lisps the ancient dandy;--“Always quarrelling; Kilkenny cats; if you _must_ go to the devil, go your own way, but not in double harness,” grunts the world-worn cynic: and the General turns his cob’s head and accompanies his niece home, more perplexed than ever, as is usually the case with a man when, bethinking him that “in the multitude of counsellors there is safety,” he has been led into the hopeless labyrinth of “talking the matter over with a few friends.” CHAPTER XV PENELOPE AND HER SUITORS RECONNOITRING--BLANCHE’S ALBUM--“SITTING HIM OUT”--CROSS-PURPOSES--A SMITTEN DANDY--HAIRBLOWER IN LONDON--THE TRUE-BLUE KAFFIRS--WETTING A PLANT--GOOD ADVICE--A CURE FOR LOW SPIRITS--THE REAL GLASS SLIPPERS “Look who it is, Rosine!” exclaimed Blanche, as her maid rushed to the window of her dressing-room, commanding as it did a view of Grosvenor Square, and a peep at every visitor who came to that front door, which was even now reverberating from a knock applied by no feeble hand. “Il n’y a pas de voiture, mademoiselle,” replied Rosine; “ce n’est qu’un monsieur à pied--mais il n’est pas mal, lui, je trouve.” The latter observation escaped Rosine more as a private reflection of her own than a remark for her lady’s ear, and was indeed no more than due to the general appearance of Frank Hardingstone, as he stood at that well-known door, his strong heart beating like a girl’s. “Run, and say I’ll be down directly, Rosine, if it’s any one for me,” said Blanche, her colour rising as she thought _who_ it was likely to be, and wondered why he had not called before, and determined to punish him and keep him waiting, and be very cold when they _did_ meet, and so show him that she did not choose to be accountable to _him_ indeed for her actions, and would ride in the Park with whom she pleased, and was utterly indifferent to his good opinion, and independent of him altogether--and thus resolving, our consistent young lady looked at herself in the glass, and was pleased to see that her eyes were bright and her hair smooth, and that she should confront Frank armed with her best looks, which proves how entirely careless she was of that gentleman’s admiration.