"Ah! you see, they aren't playing Shakespeare just now," said Ronald, dryly; "but I've got a box at the Frivolity to-night, and thought the ladies might like to come," looking straight at Carmela. Everyone looked grave at this. The Frivolity was such a fast theatre. "You don't know London very well," said Vassalla, in a sarcastic tone of voice, "or you would find out that the Frivolity is as bad, if not worse, than many a music-hall." "Oh, I've erred through ignorance, then," retorted Ronald, with a flush, "but I don't think music halls are so very bad; and besides, as far as I can judge, your acquaintance with London is not so extensive as to enable you to correct me, Marchese." Vassalla would have made an angry reply had not Carmela interposed. "What are they playing there?" she asked. "A burlesque," cried Kate Lester, "'Artful Artemis and the Shy Shepherd.'" "Kate," cried Mrs. Pellypop, in a severe tone, "how can you talk so? In my young days girls knew nothing of such things." "I wish she wouldn't go back into the dark ages," whispered Pat to Carmela, "she must be a hundred, and young at that," whereon Carmela laughed. "Well," said Ronald, dismally, "if none of the ladies will come, perhaps the gentlemen will." "I'm engaged," said Vassalla, promptly. "Thank heaven," thought Ronald, muttering the regrets which politeness demanded. "I will come, Mr. Monteith," said Sir Mark, "and I've no doubt Mr. Ryan----" "Oh, I'll be all there," said Pat, gaily; "I adore burlesque; the stage educates the people, begad, and a mighty nice schoolmaster it is." "That will be three all together," said Ronald, "so I'll ask my friend, Mr. Foster, to make a fourth; but what are the ladies' plans for to-night?" "I am going to take my cousin and Miss Trevor to the Italian Exhibition," said Vassalla, quickly. "Not to-night," replied Carmela, coldly, "I am going to write letters." "And I am going to wait in to see the Bishop," said Mrs. Pellypop. "In fact," said Bell Trevor, sarcastically, "we are going to have a quiet, domestic evening." "I hope you'll enjoy yourself," whispered Pat to Miss Lester, as he rose to go. "Oh, bother," retorted that young lady, crossly; "I might as well be in a convent. The way Mrs. Pellypop looks after me! However, my father is coming to London this week, and then I'll go everywhere." "May I come too?" plaintively asked Pat. "If you're good, yes." As Ronald said good-bye to Carmela, he asked her what she would be doing in the afternoon of the next day. "Oh! Sir Mark, Miss Trevor, and I are going to the Italian Exhibition." "And the Marchese?" "He'll very likely be there also." she replied, coldly. Whereupon he took his leave, and determined, privately in his own mind, that he also would be at the Exhibition, and would speak to Carmela on the subject nearest his heart. "I'm madly in love with her," he told Pat, as they went down the street, "you don't know how much."