"No, I do not know them at all!" replied Johannes, shaking his head. "No?" said von Pennewitz, rubbing and wringing his hands, most cheerfully. And then he continued, in broken English: "Well, well! That pleases me. Neither do I. Curious people! Do you not think so, young man?" Johannes, somewhat encouraged by this affability, gave a hesitating assent. "Have you such types in Holland, also? Surely upon a more modest scale? Ha! ha! ha!--These people are astonishingly rich! Have you tried their champagne?--No? Then you must just come with me to the buffet. It is worth the trouble, I can assure you." Happy, now, to be at least walking with some one, Johannes followed the little man, who piloted him through the packed mass of people. Arrived at the buffet they drank of the sparkling wine. "But, sir," said Johannes, "I have heard that Lady Crimmetart is so very clever." "Have you, indeed?" said the Professor, looking again at Johannes over the top of his glasses, and nodding his head. "I have nothing to say about that. Much traveled--papa a hoarding-house keeper--a smattering of almost everything. Nowadays one can get a good deal out of the newspapers. Do you read the papers, young man?" "Not much, sir," said Johannes. "Good! Be cautious about it. Let me give you some extra-good advice. Read few newspapers, and eat few oysters. Especially in Rome eat no oysters. I have just come from a fatal case of poisoning--a Roman student." Johannes mentally resolved, on the spot, to eat anything in Rome rather than oysters. "Is Lord Crimmetart also so clever, Professor?" asked Johannes. "He is bright enough. In order to become a Lord and an arch-millionaire by means of patent pills alone, one needs to be a bright rascal. Just try it! Ha! ha! ha!" The professor laughed heartily, snorted and sniffed, clicked his false teeth, and finished off his glass. Then he said: "But take care, young man, that you do not marry before you have made your pile. That was a stupid move of his. He would be able to do very much better now. If he chose, he might win Countess Dolores." The blood rushed to Johannes' head, and he flushed deeply, "I am staying there, sir!" said he, considerably touched. "Is that so? Is that so?" replied the professor, in a propitiatory tone. "But I said nothing about her, you know. A most charming woman. A perfect beauty. So she is your hostess? Well, well, well!" * * * * * "There is His Grace, the bishop!" cried the heavy voice of Lady Crimmetart, as she passed by, hurrying toward the entrance.