After a few seconds of most indescribable embarrassment, his lordship said in a voice and tone as indescribable as the embarrassment, “The lady, I believe, whom I had the honor of seeing at Smatterton castle a few months ago?” Arabella trembled and blushed, and replied very softly and with downcast eyes, “The same, my lord.” Having said this, though in speaking she nearly fainted, she felt herself somewhat relieved, and began to think that now the ice was broken. But what was her astonishment when his lordship merely replied, “Will you be so good as to be seated?” In obedience to his lordship’s commands the lady took a seat, and his lordship did not, as she expected he would, take a seat at her side, but he abruptly left the room. What can be the meaning of this, thought Miss Glossop; is his lordship so overcome that he cannot speak to me? And then Miss Glossop, being left alone, meditated most perplexedly. In the mean time Lord Spoonbill went to look after his hopeful negociator, his prince of fine fellows, that ornament to the army, Colonel Crop. And when he found the gallant colonel he was not so mute with astonishment as when he met Miss Glossop; but as soon as he caught sight of the officer, he spoke with hurried agitation and right honorable wrath. His language was not the most decorous and respectful, it was such in fact as could not with propriety make its appearance in print before so fastidious a public as we are now blessed with. Suffice it to say, that his lordship did swear most violently, and did call Colonel Crop by several very unhandsome names. So that the colonel, if he had been given to be very angry and resentful, would have been as angry as his lordship. But the colonel was a good-tempered and quietly-disposed man, and he was seldom angry, especially with a lord, and especially with a lord who kept such an excellent table as Lord Spoonbill. And therefore, in reply to all that torrent of wrath which was too bad to be printed, he merely replied with opened eyes and mouth, and blank-looking expression of countenance; “Why, what is the matter, my lord?” “Matter!” bawled his lordship; “Who is this young woman you have brought here?” Then the colonel was indeed astonished, and began to think that his lordship was not quite in his right senses. And the gallant one fixed his eyes enquiringly upon his feeder, and as gently as he could speak, for fear of exciting the paroxysm, he said, “Why--why--is not this the lady you mentioned to me?” Lord Spoonbill was for a moment or two speechless from vexation; at length his words broke forth with more heat than discretion, and he exclaimed, “Crop, are you a fool?”