"Your hours of admission are limited you know, and I scarcely think I can get away in time from ——"
"There is no debate of consequence, is there?" rejoined Lady Tilney with earnestness—"I may forget, but should there be, of course——"
"I did not mean from the house," continued Lord Albert, "but I am going to dine where I shall meet Baron H.; I have known him on the continent, and his conversation is so very interesting."—"And so very long," added the Comtesse Leinsengen, interrupting him, and with a look which was intended to repay many discussions she had been constrained to endure at Lady Tilney's hands; "I wonder he ever finds people to listen to him."—"But where do you dine," said Lady Tilney, seeming to disregard the opinion just uttered. "I know Barnette, and he is very agreeable, very clever, but I wonder he allows himself to be so fétéd by people so little known in the world. I shall be happy, I am sure—"
"I am to meet him at the Miss D.'s," replied Lord Albert, interrupting her, and who felt that this was the point he was called upon to answer, and not that of who were or who were not known in Lady Tilney's estimation.
"And do you really visit them?" said the latter with great surprise, "are you not ennuyé to death at their parties?"
"Ennuyé! no—but then I must premise that I never am so under any circumstances."
"Ah, bon! do tell me how that is, Milor," said the Comtesse Leinsengen, "precisely, do tell me how you avoid infection from dat prevalent disease of your island, dat bore you call it."
"Oh, I always do what I like," replied Lord Albert with a smile.
"Cela ne fait rien à l'affaire, one do not always know vat von like."