Lady Aurora listened to him with her eyes on his face, and as they rested there Hyacinth scarcely knew what to make of her expression. Afterwards he thought he could attach a meaning to it. She got up quickly when Muniment had ceased speaking; the movement suggested she had taken offence and he would have liked to show her he thought she had been rather roughly used. But she gave him no chance, not glancing at him for a moment. Then he saw he was mistaken and that if she had flushed considerably it was only with the excitement of pleasure, the enjoyment of such original talk and of seeing her friends at last as free and familiar as she wished them to be. “You’re the most delightful people—I wish every one could know you!” she broke out. “But I must really be going.” She went to the bed and bent over Rosy and kissed her. “Paul will see you as far as you like on your way home,” this young woman remarked. Lady Aurora protested, but Paul, without protesting in return, only took up his hat and smiled at her as if he knew his duty. On this her ladyship said: “Well, you may see me downstairs; I forgot it was so dark.” “You must take her ladyship’s own candle and you must call a cab,” Rosy directed. “Oh, I don’t go in cabs. I walk.” “Well, you may go on the top of a ’bus if you like; you can’t help being superb,” Miss Muniment declared, watching her sympathetically. “Superb? Oh mercy!” cried the poor devoted, grotesque lady, leaving the room with Paul, who told Hyacinth to wait for him a little. She neglected to take leave of our young man, and he asked himself what was to be hoped from that sort of people when even the best of them—those that wished to be agreeable to the _demos_—reverted inevitably to the supercilious. She had said no more about lending him her books. IX