’There’s nothing after all like love at first sight, is there, Mr Gresham?’

Frank knew well enough that she was quizzing him, and could not resist the temptation he felt to be revenged on her.  ’I am sure it’s very pleasant,’ said he; ‘but as for myself, I have never experienced it.’

‘Ha, ha, ha!’ laughed Miss Dunstable.  ’Upon my word, Mr Gresham, I like you amazingly.  I didn’t expect to meet anybody down here that I could like half so much.  You must come and see me in London, and I’ll introduce you to my three knights,’ and so saying, she moved away and fell into conversation with some of the higher powers.

Frank felt himself to be rather snubbed, in spite of the strong expression which Miss Dunstable had made in his favour.  It was not quite clear to him that she did not take him for a boy.  He was, to be sure, avenged on her for that by taking her for a middle-aged woman; but, nevertheless, he was hardly satisfied with himself; ’and she might find afterwards that she was left in the lurch with all her money.’  And so he retired, solitary, into a far part of the room, and began to think of Mary Thorne.  As he did so, and as his eyes fell upon Miss Dunstable’s stiff curls, he almost shuddered.

And then the ladies retired.  His aunt, with a good-natured smile on her face, come to him as she was leaving the room, the last of the bevy, and putting her hand on his arm, led him out into a small unoccupied chamber which opened from the grand saloon.

‘Upon my word, Master Frank,’ said she, ’you seem to be losing no time with the heiress.  You have quite made an impression already.’

‘I don’t know much about that, aunt,’ said he, looking rather sheepish.

’Oh, I declare you have; but, Frank, my dear boy, you should not precipitate these sort of things too much.  It is well to take a little more time:  it is more valued; and perhaps, you know, on the whole—­’

Perhaps Frank might know; but it was clear that Lady de Courcy did not:  at any rate, she did not know how to express herself.  Had she said out her mind plainly, she would probably have spoken thus:  ’I want you to make love to Miss Dunstable, certainly; or at any rate to make an offer to her; but you need not make a show of yourself and of her, by doing it so openly as all that.’  The countess, however, did not want to reprimand her obedient nephew, and therefore did not speak out her thoughts.

‘Well?’ said Frank, looking up into her face.

’Take a leetle more time—­that is all, my dear boy; slow and sure, you know,’ so the countess again patted his arm and went away to bed.

‘Old fool!’ muttered Frank to himself, as he returned to the room where the men were still standing.  He was right in this:  she was an old fool, or she would have seen that there was no chance whatever that her nephew and Miss Dunstable should become man and wife.

‘Well Frank,’ said the Honourable John; ’so you’re after the heiress already.’