"Perhaps it will burst all the easier—at any rate you will be more comfortable—if you sit down," said Austin Ambrose, dragging a chair forward without rising. "Sit down, man, and don't wear my carpet out. I'm not rich enough to afford another, you know."
Lord Blair sank into the chair and took the wine which the other man poured out for him.
"And so you have been down to Leyton, Blair, have you? 'Pon my word, I didn't think you were so hard hit!"
Lord Blair made a gesture of impatience.
"I told you that I loved her!" he said, almost savagely.
Austin Ambrose shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows.
"My dear fellow, you have made the same interesting remark about so many women!"
"No!" said Blair, vehemently. "I have never spoken about any other woman as I have spoken to you about her, because I have never felt for any other woman as I feel for her. Austin, if you could see her! She is the most beautiful creature you ever saw, and so modest, so sweet, so refined, so—there, if I were to rave about her from now till midnight I should not give you an idea of what she is like. Do you know that picture of Gainsborough, the girl gathering flowers—but there, what is the use of trying to describe her!"
"There is no use," said Austin, sipping his wine critically and lighting a cigar.