Eustace did not reply, but walked up to his cousin and the lady. "I'm afraid we must go, Mrs. Veilsturm," he said, smiling at Cleopatra. "Oh, it's early yet," remarked Cleopatra languidly. "Must you go, Sir Guy?" "I suppose so," answered Errington, looking at his watch. "Time, tide and dinner wait for no man. It's past six." "So like a man," laughed Cleopatra, "thinking of his dinner before everything else." "No, really," responded Errington, colouring at this rude remark, "but I've got an engagement, and I always like to be punctual." "In that case don't forget my 'At Home' next week," said the lady, with a bewitching glance. "Oh, no, I won't forget that," replied Errington coolly, much more coolly than Cleopatra liked, but she suppressed her anger at his nonchalance, and turned to Eustace. "Goodbye, Mr. Gartney, so good of you to have come to-day. Mr. Maclean, I've no doubt I'll see you to-night at Lady Kerstoke's dance. Sir Guy, I hope you will find your way here again. Goodbye, all of you," and then her attention was claimed by another batch of departing guests, while the three gentlemen went downstairs. "Well," said Eustace, with a sigh of relief, as they walked down Park Lane, "I must candidly confess I hate 'At Homes." "Oh, no," replied Otterburn, with his mind full of Victoria, "they're very jolly." "Oh, for the freshness of youth!" sighed Gartney, looking at the bright face of his companion. "Guy, what is your opinion?" "What about?" asked Errington, rousing himself from a fit of abstraction. "Mrs. Veilsturm?" "We were talking about 'At Homes,'" said Eustace, equably, "but as you've mentioned Mrs. Veilsturm, what is your opinion on that lady?" "She's very pleasant, but rather overpowering," was Errington's verdict. "And that's her reward for devoting the whole afternoon to you--'Oh, the ingratitude of man!'" "She's not a woman I would fall in love with," said Otterburn, with an air of having settled the question. "Nor I," echoed Sir Guy, so very resolutely that Eustace knew at once he was doubtful of his own strength of will. "Self righteous Pharisees, both," he said scoffingly, "you talk bravely, but if Cleopatra put forth her strength she could twist you both round her finger." CHAPTER XXV. FASCINATION. "Snake! snake! your treacherous eyes, Grow and deepen to marvellous skies, Stars shine out in the rosy space, Every star is a woman's face, Flushed and wreathed with amorous smiles, Drawing my soul with magical wiles, Vision! while I am rapt in thee, Death is coming unknown to me. Snake hath caught me fast in his toils, Round me winding his shining coils, Ah, from dreams with a start I wake, Thou host stung me, oh cruel snake."