"Depend upon me," replied Lady Hamlet Vernon, kissing her hand to him as he left the room. "Depend upon my hating you most cordially," she said to herself; as her head sank on the pillow of her sofa, and she tried to shut out from her recollection all his ill-timed _bavardage_, and to recal the strange but eloquent converse of the interesting Lord D'Esterre. CHAPTER IX. THE PRIMA SERA; LETTERS, SNARES. Lady Hamlet Vernon, in consequence of her recent accident, received society at home instead of seeking it abroad; and for several evenings the _élite_ of _ton_, passed their _prima sera_ at her house. Lord Albert D'Esterre was constant too in his attendance there, and was evidently much occupied with Lady Hamlet Vernon. His attentions did not escape remark, and though Lady Tilney's object, in wishing to possess an influence over Lord Albert, was quite of another nature, still she felt some disappointment at finding he was interested in another quarter, and therefore less likely to yield to the designs which she had formed upon his political independence. "I'll tell you how that matter stands," replied Lord Rainham, as she inquired his opinion on the subject, "the _love_ is at present entirely on the lady's side; Lord Albert is not at all captive, and he has such obsolete ways of thinking, that I imagine he will not be easily caught. I should recommend his being given up altogether, he will never play a part among us, depend upon that; and you will not find him worth the trouble of educating." "Oh! as to playing a part, my dear Lord, one does not want every body to play a part, at least not a _first_ part you know; and as for _educating_ them, that is quite out of the question." "But," rejoined Lord Rainham, "you forget there is such a thing as persuasion; and it is said D'Esterre took his seat on the side of ministers by some means of that sort. Now it is possible, that although no _liaison de cœur_ exists between him and Lady Hamlet Vernon, yet as a clever woman, she may have decided his vacillating judgment; to say the truth, I believe she has." Lady Tilney bit her lip, and something like the word provoking, escaped her, as she replied, "I would scorn to persuade any body to any thing against his will; there is nothing I have ever maintained more strenuously, than that every individual should have a free choice in all the different elections of life." Lord Rainham smiled. "But after all," she added with an affected indifference, by which she attempted ineffectually to conceal her mortification, "it is of very little importance which side Lord Albert has taken." "One would have thought so indeed but for the disappointment which is evident since he has declared himself," replied Lord Rainham, drily.