When Mrs. Dinks withdrew from her idle employments to the invigorating air of the Honorable B.'s society, he tapped her cheek sometimes with his finger--as he had read great men occasionally did when they were with their wives in moments of relaxation from intellectual toil--asked her what would become of the world if it were given up to women, and by his manner refreshed her consciousness of the honor under which she labored in being Mrs. Budlong Dinks. The weaker vessel smiled consciously, as if he very well knew that was the one particular thing which under no conceivable circumstances could she forget. "Budlong, I really think Alfred ought to keep a horse." "My dear!" replied the Honorable B., in a tone of mingled reproach, amusement, contempt, and surprise. "Oh! I know we can't afford it. But it would be so pleasant if he could drive out his cousin Hope, as so many of the other young men do. People get so well acquainted in that way. Have you observed that Bowdoin Beacon is a great deal with her? How glad Mrs. Beacon would be!" Mrs. Dinks took off her cap, and was unpinning her collar, without in the least pressing her request. Not at all. His word was enough. She had evidently yielded the point. The horse was out of the question. Now the state of the country did not so entirely engross her husband's mind, that he had not seen all the advantage of Hope's marrying Alfred. "It _is_ a pleasant thing for a young man to have his own horse. My dear, I will see what can be done," said he. Then the diplomatist untied his cravat as if he had been undoing the parchment of a great treaty. He fell asleep in the midst of rehearsing the speech which he meant to make upon occasion of his presentation as foreign minister somewhere; while his beloved partner lay by his side, and resolved that Alfred Dinks must immediately secure Hope Wayne before Fanny Newt secured Alfred Dinks. CHAPTER XXII. THE FINE ARTS. The whole world of Saratoga congratulated Mrs. Dinks upon her beautiful niece, Miss Wayne. Even old Mrs. Dagon said to every body: "How lovely she is! And to think she comes from Boston! Where did she get her style? Fanny dear, I saw you hugging--I beg your pardon, I mean waltzing with Mr. Dinks." But when Hope Wayne danced there seemed to be nobody else moving. She filled the hall with grace, and the heart of the spectator with an indefinable longing. She carried strings of bouquets. She made men happy by asking them to hold some of her flowers while she danced; and then, when she returned to take them, the gentlemen were steeped in such a gush of sunny smiling that they stood bowing and grinning--even the wisest--but felt as if the soft gush pushed them back a little; for the beauty which, allured them defended her like a fiery halo. It was understood that she was engaged to Mr. Alfred Dinks, her cousin, who was already, or was to be, very rich. But there was apparently nothing very marked in his devotion.