"I am sure Mr. Langley will raise some obstacle. At all events, I will remain in my own room, and you can act as his _cicerone_. If this continues," added Kate, resolutely, "I will leave London. Indeed, I have wished to speak to you on this subject before." "I am sure I shall never forgive Lord Effingham if he frightens you away, my dear," said Mrs. Storey, kindly; and then added, reflectively--"goodness me! how strange high-life is!" This visit of Lord Effingham's was a great shock to Kate; how was she to clear herself in Lady Desmond's eyes from the suspicion that she had consented so readily to remain in London in order to see her accepted lover more frequently. Yes! the only remedy was to mature her crude plans for endeavouring to obtain employment of some kind out of London--to dependance she would never return. Kate's anticipations as to Langley's raising obstacles to that visit proved correct; he made his appearance, according to his usual custom, at tea time. "Lord Effingham was here this morning, William--he is very anxious to see your studio; and I promised to take him with me to-morrow." "He does me infinite honour," said Langley. "But it happens I am going to Windsor to-morrow, and cannot leave my studio unlocked even to gratify his lordship." Kate thought he said this with unusual acerbity. "Well, that _is_ unfortunate," cried Mrs. Storey. "What a _grandee_ you are growing all at once, Charlotte," said her husband, facetiously; "patronising Earls and Colonels--they will want you at Almacks next. Talking of finery," continued Mr. Storey, "I was introduced to Tom Jorrocks' wife to-day, and promised you would call upon her--they are in town, for a few weeks, at ----; here's his card, Cambridge Terrace." And Mr. and Mrs. Storey immediately plunged into the history of Tom Jorrocks and his wife, and of how rich his mother was, and what a large fortune he was making, &c., &c. While Langley and Kate conversed quietly apart. "Is Lord Effingham a great lover of painting?" "I believe so; he certainly understands it." "It is curious enough; I was walking this evening with Gailliard, (who, by the way, was making many enquiries for you,) when Lord Effingham drove past us in Regent Street. Gailliard seems to have known a good deal of him abroad; he gave a curious character of him." Langley thought for some moments, and then resumed--"You remember Gailliard?" "Oh, quite well--I should like to see him again." "He has just returned from France, with a perfect budget of anecdotes, touching the late Revolution; he is a strange fellow," concluded Langley, musingly. "I always wonder that M. Gailliard is not a man of greater eminence than he is." "Yes--he has all the ingredients to be a great writer, a good artist, a leading character, and yet he seems to have missed everything."