"But what business had women ever with ruffs?" Lord Musselburgh interposed. "Why, when the dandies and bucks of Henry VIII.’s time began to make themselves splendid by puffing themselves out round the neck, of course it was in imitation of the stag—as the stag becomes when he is supposed to captivate the fancy of the hinds; but you don’t find the hinds with any similar adornments. Such things are proper to males: why should women try to look magnificent round the back of the neck? Why should a hen covet a cockscomb? It’s all wrong—it’s against natural laws." "Natural laws in a milliner’s shop!" she said. "Oh, do look at those two Italian girls; what English peasant-girl could choose colour like that? I _should_ like to speak to them—for a moment." Lord Musselburgh did not seem inclined to interfere. "I dare say they may have been long enough in England," said he, "to have picked up a little of the Italian that English ladies speak. You may try them." But she refrained; for at this moment one of the girls began to play a few bars of _Funiculi-funicula_ evidently as an introduction to the singing of her companion; whereupon Lord Musselburgh proposed that Mrs. Ellison should cross over to look at the windows of one or two jewellers’ shops—in which both of them happened to be much interested just at this time. The morning went by, and Vincent had caught no glimpse of Maisrie Bethune or her grandfather; but indeed he had not expected that; the old man would be busy with his books, and it was not likely that Maisrie would come wandering by herself through this fashionable throng. When at last the three friends got back to Brunswick Terrace, it was close on luncheon-time; though here Mrs. Ellison was much surprised to learn that Lord Musselburgh had engaged Vincent to lunch with him at the Bedford Hotel. "What’s the matter?" said she. "Business or billiards?" "Neither," her fiancé made answer, "I only wanted to give you a little holiday, for an hour or two." "Not longer, then," she said. "For I am going out driving at three, and I shall expect you both."