“Pray come to tea, to-morrow, sir--or stay, perhaps better not, for I have Princess Augusta’s Maid-of-Honour, the little Selina Vereker, and, oh no, I would not for the world that you should meet!” “And why, pray?” “La, Sir Jasper, and you on the look-out for a new Lady Standish! You might fall in love with her, to be sure.” “And what then, my Lady Kilcroney?” “Oh, Sir Jasper, Sir Jasper, that would never do!” “And why not, ma’am?” “But eighteen, sir.” “I see no objection there.” “Fie, Sir Jasper, and you turned thirty-six!” “But thirty-five my last birthday, ma’am, as I’m a sinner.” “A sinner, indeed, Sir Jasper, and now you have it. What? Would you, sir, mate with innocence, guilelessness; lamb-like light-heartedness, and sprightliness; you with----?” “Come, come, my Lady Kilcroney. I’ve not been a model husband, I dare say.” “I dare say not, sir. Heavens, my poor Julia!” “Your poor Julia, ma’am, would have driven a saint--Pshaw! She was too good for me!” “Believe me, sir, you should wed a young lady of some experience, if not a widow; a staid female, sir.” “Thank you, my Lady, I’m vastly obliged, I’m sure.” “And you so jealous, Sir Jasper, who could scarce even trust virtue’s self, in the shape of Julia! La, to think of you with Selina--such beauty, Sir Jasper; such grace, such charm, so ready to take the pleasure of her years, so pure ignorant of the world’s ways.” “Good heavens, my Lady Kilcroney, if I do not come to your tea-party to-morrow, ’twill be that I am a dead man.” “Do not say you were not warned,” said my Lady, and had the laugh of scorn to herself to see with what conquering airs Sir Jasper glanced at himself in each mirror when, departing, he crossed the long length of her drawing-room at Queen’s Lodge. The pretty Maid-of-Honour and the already foresworn widower duly met over Kitty’s bohea, next afternoon. Sir Jasper duly fell head over heels in love; and before the week was out, they were engaged to be married. Royalty approved, my Lady Ongar gave her consent with tears of joy; and both Susan Verney and Ann Day sent cool sisterly sanction. Having secured her victim Kitty prepared herself to enjoy every moment of the delightful process of decking her for the sacrifice. What woman but does not feel that in the trousseau lies the true inward satisfaction of the bridal state? To a benevolent heart like my Lady Kilcroney’s the choice of Lady Selina’s garments, the proper expenditure of the funds entrusted to her for the purpose by the widowed mother offered a task in which duty went hand in hand with delight. Generous soul that she was, she promptly decided to supplement the Dowager’s exiguous allotment by a contribution of her own: secretly, so as not to hurt the poor child’s feelings, but to an extent which should in her estimation befit the wedding of a maid-of-honour under the protection of the Lady Kilcroney.