"Lady Gertrude is greatly in love with her, and she says that she is the most interesting girl she ever met."
"I am of the opinion of her ladyship," said the other, who also appeared to be of rank and culture, "but I cannot say that I would rave over Mrs. Arnold, as the most of our gallants do. In my eyes Miss Verne is far above her sister."
Hubert Tracy now felt a nervous sensation which made him uneasy, and yet he was compelled to remain. His curiosity was aroused, and he leaned eagerly forward where he could almost feel the speaker's breath upon his cheeks.
"It was reported that Mrs. Verne was very anxious to secure Sir
Arthur Forrister for Miss Marguerite, but it was hinted at Mrs.
Arnold's drawing-room, not many evenings since, that Mr. Tracy is
the lucky man."
"What—not that young fellow who is so much in the company of
Arnold?"
"Yes, the very one, Ernest. It is to be hoped that he will give up his bad habits, for if all reports be true he is not a proper husband for Miss Verne."
"Who the deuce can they be?" thought Hubert, as he tried to get a better view of the pair. Lovers they certainly were not. As he listened he further learned that they were brother and sister, who had met after some weeks of absence—the former being a cadet in a military school in a neighboring borough.
"Egad, my young fellow, if it were you who made the speech there would be some fan before you shouldered your knapsack again," muttered Hubert Tracy, as he sat eyeing the pair with no very great affection; then adding, spitefully, "curse the women; they are first and last in everything," stealthily crept out and was soon in the open walk, jostled in turn by every pedestrian that crossed his path.
Not more than an hour had intervened when Hubert Tracy found himself chatting at his ease and listening to the pretty society talk of Mrs. Montague Arnold. She was attired in robes befitting a princess, and diamonds flashed from the superb necklace of antique design.
"You recreant!" exclaimed the beauty, throwing down the novel which had occupied the moments intervening the completion of the extravagant toilet and the arrival of an admirer. "I feel very much inclined to impose severe punishment upon you. Is it becoming a suitor to play truant when he wishes to hear favorably from his 'ladye fayre'?"