"It is astonishing," continued her son, so wrapped in his own thoughts that he did not, perhaps, hear her outcry--"yea, verily, it is astonishing, that considering the thousands of women I have seen and spoken with, I never see a face like hers--never hear a voice so sweet. And all this universe of life can not afford me one look and one tone that can restore me to man's privilege--love. Well, well, well, life has other things yet--Poetry and Art live still--still smiles the heaven, and still wave the trees. Leave me to happiness in my own way." The Countess was about to reply, when the door was thrown hastily open, and Lord Lansmere walked in. The Earl was some years older than the Countess, but his placid face showed less wear and tear; a benevolent, kindly face--without any evidence of commanding intellect, but with no lack of sense in its pleasant lines. His form not tall, but upright, and with an air of consequence--a little pompous, but good-humoredly so. The pomposity of the _Grand Seigneur_, who has lived much in provinces--whose will has been rarely disputed, and whose importance has been so felt and acknowledged as to react insensibly on himself; an excellent man; but when you glanced toward the high brow and dark eye of the Countess, you marveled a little how the two had come together, and, according to common report, lived so happily in the union. "Ho, ho! my dear Harley," cried Lord Lansmere, rubbing his hands with an appearance of much satisfaction. "I have just been paying a visit to the Duchess." "What Duchess, my dear father?" "Why, your mother's first cousin, to be sure--the Duchess of Knaresborough, whom, to oblige me, you condescended to call upon; and delighted I am to hear that you admire Lady Mary--" "She is very high-bred, and rather--high-nosed," answered Harley. Then observing that his mother looked pained, and his father disconcerted, he added seriously, "But handsome, certainly." "Well, Harley," said the Earl, recovering himself, "the Duchess, taking advantage of our connection to speak freely, has intimated to me that Lady Mary has been no less struck with yourself; and to come to the point, since you allow that it is time you should think of marrying, I do not know a more desirable alliance. What do you say, Catherine?" "The Duke is of a family that ranks in history before the Wars of the Roses," said Lady Lansmere, with an air of deference to her husband; "and there has never been one scandal in its annals, or one blot in its scutcheon. But I am sure my dear Lord must think that the Duchess should not have made the first overture--even to a friend and a kinsman?" "Why, we are old-fashioned people," said the Earl, rather embarrassed, "and the Duchess is a woman of the world." "Let us hope," said the Countess mildly, "that her daughter is not." "I would not marry Lady Mary, if all the rest of the female sex were turned into apes," said Lord L'Estrange, with deliberate fervor.