"Par drivers moyens on arrive à pareille fin," said the Comtesse Leinsengen; "and providing one does what one wants to do, that is all that _sinifies_. One person faints, another talks, another dresses, another writes, all in order to get what they wish. On the success depends the wisdom of the measure." "Agreed," cried Mr. Spencer Newcombe, "and conceived like a _diplomate du premier grade_," he whispered to Lady Baskerville; then aloud, "if Tonnerre had been here he would have said--" "I will bet you ten to one," cried Mr. Leslie Winyard, "that Lord Albert D'Esterre does not leave Restormel to-morrow." "Done," said Mr. Spencer Newcombe.-- "Done," said Lord Baskerville; "ten to one he does; for I never knew a more obstinate fellow in my life; one who prizes himself more _on decision of character_--and when he says he will do a thing he will do it, however little he may like the thing when done." "I don't think he will go," said Lady Ellersby, gently. "Why not?" asked Lady Tilney. "Lady Hamlet Vernon will not let him." "C'est tout simple," rejoined Comtesse Leinsengen, with a shrug of her shoulders. "It appears to me," said Lady Baskerville, "that if he does go he will not be very much missed. I never knew so dull a member of society; he never speaks but to lay down the law, or to inculcate some moral truth: now really when one has done with the nursery, that is rather too bad." "Providing she don't drive away George Foley," said Lady Boileau, "she may reap the fruits of her fainting here." "Mr. Foley," replied Lady Baskerville to her dear friend, "is the man in the world who will do whatever suits him best; and I particularly admire _his_ manner and his ways: they are all perfectly in good taste; and I have already promised him that he shall be my _cavaliere servente_ for the season." "Promised!--well, dear Lady Baskerville, I thought you were too prudent to make such promises. What will Lord Baskerville say?" lowering her tone to a whisper. Lady Baskerville, speaking aloud--"Oh, dear! la! I should never have thought of asking him what he likes upon such an occasion;--we live too well together to trouble each other with our little arrangements.--Is it not true, Lord Baskerville? do we not do exactly as we choose?" "I hope your Ladyship does," he replied, in all the airs of his exclusive character; "I should conceive myself vastly unhappy if you did not?" Lady Baskerville looked significantly at her dear friend Lady Boileau; who knew, as well as herself, that this ultra-liberalism of her Lord in regard to the conduct of wives, whatever it might be in respect to husbands, was entirely assumed on Lord Baskerville's part.