‘I didn’t say so; I ought to qualify such a wholesale sentiment. Whether the right sort of foreigner does not emigrate I cannot tell. But the idea has struck others besides myself, and I must confess to a “Dr. Fell” sort of instinctive feeling about our distinguished friend.’
‘Sheer prejudice and perhaps the least bit of jealousy, shall I say, on your part,’ continued Antonia.
‘But why jealousy?’
‘Well, I mean it to apply to all of you men who run down the poor Count so. We are all great admirers of him, and that, I am afraid, does not make him popular with your sex. Here’s Mr. Croker coming to claim me for the next dance. There now, he’ll abuse him—but he does that about everybody. Are you sure that this is our dance?’ mischievously commenced the young lady, as that gentleman arrived.
‘I think so,’ said Croker superciliously, ‘unless you have a chance of the Count, in which case of course you’ll throw me and Neuchamp over—I expect nothing else.’
‘Not surely if I were engaged to Mr. Jermyn Croker!’ said she; and looking at her programme, ‘I really am engaged to you for the quadrille, but why am I accused of pursuing the Count von Schätterheims?’
‘Because every one runs after him—men, women, and children,’ said Croker. ‘The whole city seems transformed into a sort of Bedlam.’
‘But why do they run after him?’ inquired Miss Frankston.
‘Why?’ repeated Mr. Croker, with an air of ineffable disdain, ‘because they’re all fools, I suppose; except a few, a very few.’
‘And why are they excepted?’ said Ernest, who commenced to be amused at his daring unsparing cynicism.