“After him, may I hope?”
Lady Flora nodded assent, and disappeared with Lord Borodaile.
His Royal Highness the Duke of —— came up to Lady Westborough; and Clarence, with a smiling countenance and an absent heart, plunged into the crowd. There he met Lord Aspeden, in conversation with the Earl of Holdenworth, one of the administration.
“Ah, Linden,” said the diplomatist, “let me introduce you to Lord Holdenworth,—a clever young man, my dear lord, and plays the flute beautifully.” With this eulogium, Lord Aspeden glided away; and Lord Holdenworth, after some conversation with Linden, honoured him by an invitation to dinner the next day.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
‘T is true his nature may with faults abound;
But who will cavil when the heart is sound?—STEPHEN MONTAGUE.
Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currant.-HORACE.
[“The foolish while avoiding vice run into the opposite
extremes.”]
The next day Sir Christopher Findlater called on Clarence. “Let us lounge in the park,” said he.
“With pleasure,” replied Clarence; and into the park they lounged.
By the way they met a crowd, who were hurrying a man to prison. The good-hearted Sir Christopher stopped: “Who is that poor fellow?” said he.