This, however, was not her case; and the very nature of her ingenuous and guileless disposition became, in her present circumstances, an additional source of danger, since it rendered her the easy prey of the experienced and practised in deception, by too many of whom she was surrounded, and who, envious of that purity they affected to despise, were restless agents in endeavouring to reduce it to their own corrupt level. It was from some such motive as this, rather than from any impulse of love or passion, that Mr. Leslie Winyard first paid Lady Glenmore attention. He was clever, and knew well how to be prodigal of assiduities to the one object of his pursuit, in contradistinction to the contempt in which he apparently held all others. This flatters the vanity of the individual to whom they are addressed, and proves a ready passport to a woman's smiles, particularly when experiencing that perfect délaissement which is most felt in a crowd, where "there is none to bless us, none whom we can bless."
Under these circumstances Lady Glenmore first listened to Mr. Leslie Winyard; and that advantage once gained, he had art enough to avail himself of it as a step towards intimacy. In a very short space of time, he so far succeeded as to raise at least a bruit sourd of his being l'objet préféré; an idea which at this period, could any real friend of Lady Glenmore's have suggested to her, she would have started from with indignation; but as it was, she continued laughing and talking on the present occasion with Mr. Leslie Winyard. Had she overheard the observations made upon her by various persons, more particularly those of Lady De Chere and Lord Boileau, she might have learned a lesson which she was destined to buy at a higher price.
"Well, for a debutante," said Lord Boileau, "I think la petite Georgina has made considerable progress in her career. And how does Glenmore take it?"
"Oh!" replied Lady De Chere, "as every one does what they cannot help, I suppose. Besides, doubtless, he has other things to think of, and must feel glad to have escaped her childish fondness: it must have been exceedingly tiresome; and, after all, the sooner a matrimonial understanding is settled upon a right and proper footing, the better for both parties."
"Very true, Lady De Chere; and nobody settles those matters so well as yourself; you are a model for all married ladies; so much retenu, so much bienséance, and such a lady-like way of doing exactly what you choose, and allowing De Chere to do the same. It is the only way for married persons to be comfortable, or comme il faut."
"I am glad you think so, for that has long ago been Lady Boileau's opinion," replied Lady De Chere, with one of her most contumelious smiles, and left Lord Boileau to the satisfaction of his reflections on domestic happiness.
"Pardon me," said Lord Baskerville, gently pulling him aside, and conducting the Comtesse Leinsengen to the other apartment, "but en qualité de preux, hem! I must be permitted to say, Place aux dames—a-hem!"
"Oh! my reveries," rejoined Lord Boileau, "were on very every-day topics; they can be resumed at any time; and I am happy in the honour of—"
"Getting out of de way," quickly interrupted the Comtesse, who had the happy knack of cutting all long speeches short, "milles graces:" and she glided past him with a sliding bow, adding aside to Lord Baskerville, "I would always make my best thanks to him for dat; he is quite a dullification. Mais voilà du nouveau," she went on to say, in the same breath, looking towards Lady Glenmore and Mr. Leslie Winyard, who were still conversing; "dat is always de way with your English virtuosos; dey go grand train when dey do go. You are an odd people altogether; always en caricatura. Et le mari farouche apprivoisé! quite used to it already! Well, he is more sensible dan I took him for; vogue la galère." And by this time she had approached close to Lady Glenmore with her sliding step.—"I wished to make you my courtesy, and pay you my compliments on the brilliancy of your soirée; and I am happy to see you did not suffer more from your indisposition at the drawing-room. Indeed, I am sure you could not, for I never saw you looking more triomphante than to-night. That heat was enough to kill one; but you had only a vapeur; and I assure you it was quite becoming: was it not, Lord Baskerville?"