It struck me suddenly that her gayety was the same as that she had worn to my birthday party, scarce a year agone. "Dolly, you are not well!" I said anxiously. She flung her head saucily for answer. In the meantime his Grace, talking coldly to Comyn, had been looking unutterable thunders at me. I thought of him awaking in the dew at Covent Garden, and could scarce keep from laughing in his face. Mr. Marmaduke squirmed to the front. "Morning, Richard," he said, with a marked cordiality. "Have you met the Duke of Chartersea? No! Your Grace, this is Mr. Richard Carvel. His family are dear friends of ours in the colonies." To my great surprise, the duke saluted me quite civilly. But I had the feeling of facing a treacherous bull which would gore me as soon as ever my back was turned. He was always putting me in mind of a bull, with his short neck and heavy, hunched shoulders,--and with the ugly tinge of red in the whites of his eyes. "Mr. Manners tells me you are to remain awhile in London, Mr. Carvel," he said, in his thick voice. I took his meaning instantly, and replied in kind. "Yes, your Grace, I have some business to attend to here." "Ah," he answered; "then I shall see you again." "Probably, sir," said I. His Lordship watched this thrust and parry with an ill-concealed delight. Dorothy's face was impassive, expressionless. As the duke turned to mount the stairs, he stumbled clumsily across a young man coming to pay his respects to Miss Manners, and his Grace went sprawling against the wall. "Confound you, sir!" he cried. For the ducal temper was no respecter of presences. Then a title was a title to those born lower, and the young man plainly had a vast honour for a coronet. "I beg your Grace's pardon," said he. "Who the deuce is he?" demanded the duke petulantly of Mr. Manners, thereby setting the poor little man all a-tremble. "Why, why,--" he replied, searching for his spyglass. For an instant Dolly's eyes shot scorn. Chartersea had clearly seen and heeded that signal before. "The gentleman is a friend of mine," she said. Tho' I were put out of the Garden of Eden as a consequence, I itched to have it out with his Grace then and there. I knew that I was bound to come into collision with him sooner or later. Such, indeed, was my mission in London. But Dorothy led the way upstairs, a spot of colour burning each of her cheeks. The stream of guests had been arrested until the hall was packed, and the curious were peering over the rail above.