"I shall be there," he said, and once again he looked into her sweet, gray eyes; and she rose with a slightly faster movement than usual and drew him to where there were more of her guests. Meanwhile Lord Elterton was losing no time in his pursuit of Zara. He had been among the first to leave the dining-room, several paces in front of Tristram and the others, and instantly came to her and suggested a tour of the pictures. He quite agreed with the financier--these long, narrow rooms were most useful! And Zara, thankful to divert her mind, went with him willingly, and soon found herself standing in front of an immense canvas given by the Regent, of himself, to the Duke's grandfather, one of his great friends. "I have been watching you all through dinner," Lord Elterton said, "and you looked like a beautiful storm: your dress the gray clouds, and your eyes the thunder ones--threatening." "One feels like a storm sometimes," said Zara. "People are so tiresome, as a rule; you can see through them in half an hour. But no one could ever guess about what you were thinking." "No one would want to--if they knew." "Is it so terrible as that?" And he smiled--she must be diverted. "I wish I had met you long ago, because, of course, I cannot tell you all the things I now want to--Tristram would be so confoundedly jealous--like he was this afternoon. It is the way of husbands." Zara did not reply. She quite agreed to this, for of the jealousy of husbands she had experience! "Now if I were married," Lord Elterton went on, "I would try to make my wife so happy, and would love her so much she would never give me cause to be jealous." "Love!" said Zara. "How you talk of love--and what does it mean? Gratification to oneself, or to the loved person?" "Both," said Lord Elterton, and looked down so devotedly into her eyes that the old Duke, who was near, with Laura, thought it was quite time the young man's innings should be over! So he joined them. "Come with me, Zara, while I show you some of Tristram's ancestors on his mother's side." And he placed her arm in his gallantly, and led her away to the most interesting pictures. "Well, 'pon my soul!" he said, as they went along. "Things are vastly changed since my young days. Here, Tristram--" and he beckoned to his nephew who was with Lady Anningford--"come here and help me to show your wife some of your forbears." And then he went on with his original speech. "Yes, as I was saying, things are vastly changed since I brought Ethelrida's dear mother back here, after our honeymoon!--a month in those days! I would have punched any other young blood's head, who had even looked at her! And you philander off with that fluffy, little empty-pate, Laura, and Arthur Elterton makes love to your bride! A pretty state of things, 'pon my soul!" And he laughed reprovingly.