The Earl smothered a chuckling laugh,--Lady Sibyl gazed meditatively into the fire and went on as though she had not heard. "Of course my friend will have other chances,--she is young and handsome--but I really think, apart from the social point of view, that she was a little in love with the Viscount----" "Nonsense! nonsense!" said her father somewhat testily. "You always have some romantic notion or other in your head Sibyl,--one 'season' ought to have cured you of sentiment--ha-ha-ha! She always knew he was a dissolute rascal, and she was going to marry him with her eyes wide open to the fact. When I read in the papers that he had blown his brains out in a hansom, I said 'Bad taste--bad taste! spoiling a poor cabby's stock-in-trade to satisfy a selfish whim!' ha-ha!--but I thought it was a good riddance of bad rubbish. He would have made any woman's life utterly miserable." "No doubt he would!" responded Lady Sibyl, listlessly; "But, all the same, there is such a thing as love sometimes." She raised her beautiful liquid eyes to Lucio's face, but he was not looking her way, and her steadfast gaze met mine instead. What my looks expressed I know not; but I saw the rich blood mantle warmly in her cheeks, and a tremor seemed to pass through her frame,--then she grew very pale. At that moment one of the gorgeous footmen appeared at the doorway. "Dinner is served, my lud." "Good!" and the Earl proceeded to 'pair' us all. "Prince, will you take Miss Fitzroy,--Mr Tempest, my daughter falls to your escort,--I will follow with Miss Chesney." We set off in this order down the stairs, and as I walked behind Lucio with Lady Sibyl on my arm, I could not help smiling at the extreme gravity and earnestness with which he was discussing church matters with Miss Charlotte, and the sudden enthusiasm that apparently seized that dignified spinster at some of his remarks on the clergy, which took the form of the most affectionate and respectful eulogies, and were totally the reverse of the ideas he had exchanged with me on the same subject. Some spirit of mischief was evidently moving him to have a solemn joke with the high-bred lady he escorted, and I noted his behaviour with a good deal of inward amusement. "Then you know the dear Canon?" I heard Miss Charlotte say. "Most intimately!" replied Lucio with fervour--"and I assure you I am thankful to have the privilege of knowing him. A truly perfect man!--almost a saint--if not quite!" "So pure-minded!" sighed the spinster. "So free from every taint of hypocrisy!" murmured Lucio with intense gravity. "Ah yes! Yes indeed! And so----" Here they passed into the dining-room and I could hear no more. I followed with my beautiful partner, and in another minute we were all seated at table. XII