As soon as she heard he was of rank, (for Miss Egerton was not backward to affirm the dreams of her own imagination,) she formed a wish to see him; and when, to her infinite satisfaction, he did present himself, in her eyes he exceeded everything that had been described. To secure such a conquest, she thought, would not only raise the envy of the women, but put the men on the alert to discover some novel and attractive way of proving their devotion. Whilst Lady Sara was meditating on her new conquest, the count and Lady Tinemouth remained in their _tete-à-tete_. Her ladyship talked to him on various subjects; but he answered ill upon them all, and sometimes very wide of the matter. At last, conscious that he must be burdensome, he arose, and, looking paler and more depressed than when he entered, wished her a good morning. "I am afraid, Mr. Constantine, you are unwell." Like most people who desire to hide what is passing in their minds, Thaddeus gladly assented to this, as an excuse for a taciturnity he could not overcome. "Then," cried her ladyship, "I hope you will let me know where to send to inquire after your health." Thaddeus was confounded for a moment; then, returning into the room, he took up a pen, which lay on the table, and said, "I will write my address to a place where any of your ladyship's commands may reach me; but I will do myself the honor to repeat my call very soon." "I shall always be happy to see you," replied the countess, while he was writing; "but before I engage you in a promise of which you may afterwards repent, I must tell you that you will meet with dull entertainment at my house. I see very little company; and were it not for the inexhaustible spirits of Miss Egerton, I believe I should become a complete misanthrope." "Your house will be my paradise!" exclaimed the count, with an expressiveness to the force of which he did not immediately attend. Lady Tinemouth smiled. "I must warn you here, too," cried she. "Miss Egerton must not be the deity of your paradise. She is already under engagements." Thaddeus blushed at being mistaken, and wished to explain himself. "You misunderstand me, madam. I am not insensible to beauty; but upon my word, at that moment I had nothing else in my thoughts than gratitude for your ladyship's kindness to an absolute stranger." "That is true, Mr. Constantine: you are an absolute stranger, if the want of a formal introduction and an ignorance of your family constitute that title. But your protection introduced you to me; and there is something in your appearance which convinces me that I need not be afraid of admitting you into the very scanty number of my friends."