“Oh! he did, did he?”
“Oh, yes, bless you! And I am very much obliged to him for doing so; but she was perfectly inconsolable for three years. But she has at last left off her weeds, as you see. And we may suppose she is in the market.”
“Ah! she is, is she?”
“Oh, yes! Lovely creature? And stu-PEN-dously rich too,” exclaimed the dragoon.
“Oh, she is rich?” sneered Alexander.
“Rich? She’s a California Crœsus. A great catch for some fortunate fellow!”
It would not do to take a gentleman by the throat and shake him there in the ambassadress’ drawing-room; yet Alexander could scarcely refrain from laying hands on the dragoon who continued very innocently piling up wrath.
“Do you know, I think Lillespont is taken? Lillespont who has escaped all the man-traps set for him for the last four years, since he first appeared in the world? But then this young creature is such a perfect novelty! It would be of no use for a captain of dragoons to enter the lists against a duke, else hang me if I did not go in for the little beauty myself,” said the young officer, complacently drawing himself up, sticking out a neat leg, and caressing his moustache.
“You are an ass!” exclaimed Alexander, turning on his heel and walking away.
The astonished dragoon gazed after him in a sort of stupor, and then, still pawing at his moustache, muttered: