"Yes--no--yes, you may;" replied Lady Tilney; whose answer in the affirmative was decided by her wish to know more of Lord Albert in society, and a little also by Comtesse Leinsengen's having held cheap her penetration in regard to the qualifications of the former for their _société choisie_. The invitation was quickly given, and no excuse would be admitted. While Lord Albert was endeavouring to extricate himself from this importunity, and Sir William to convince him of the impossibility of disobeying Lady Tilney's commands, which he advanced to strengthen his cause, the Comtesse Leinsengen caught the conversation: "So, Milor, you will not be at de party to-morrow? an excuse vraiment! when de people make _me excuse_, I know what dat means, and it is made up in my mind never to ask dem again." "When you have once expressed that horrible sentence," answered Lord Albert, smiling, "it would surely be impossible to incur so great a danger; but as I am really not able to give my assent to the very obliging invitation, I shall not, I hope, be deemed deserving of the penalty." "What! _then_ you will _not_ accept?" asked the Comtesse Leinsengen again, in her own abrupt tone of command. "No; I lament I cannot." The Comtesse shrugged her shoulders, adding: "What! you will not accept, I suppose, because it is Sunday; and you are engaged all de day long to de Church; is it not dat--are you what dey call a saint?" Lord Albert felt annoyed by the importunity with which he had been assailed; and conceiving, according to his own ideas of good breeding, that declining an invitation at first was sufficient, he continued to look more grave and annoyed. Still as the Comtesse repeated the question: "Are you what dey call a saint?" "No, a sinner certainly; but would I were indeed a saint." "So den you condemn us all, I suppose, who do not keep de Sunday stupidly _à la façon Angloise_? Vill you tell me now, Milor, vat you tink one may do on a Sunday? I suppose you would not hang your cat, _par exemple_, if she killed her mouse on Sunday, vould you?" Lord Albert D'Esterre looked still more cold and grave, as he drew himself up and leant against the back of the box, saying, that "it was an unfitting time and place for such discussions, and that he begged to be excused from entering upon them." Then bending forward to Lady Tilney, who had remained silent, and saying a few words to her, he bowed and retired. "Il est farouche et fanfaron au possible," cried the Comtesse Leinsengen, as he closed the door; "after to-night I have done vid him." "He is only original; and it will be a great thing to soften his little prejudices, and teach him to enjoy existence under your tuition, if it were possible," said Sir William, making as low a bow as his _embonpoint_ would permit, "'_to soften knotted oaks, and bend the rocks_,' it would be done--"