’Yes;—­yes.  I see.  You punish me for my unpremeditated impertinence in suggesting that you are devoted to Lady Mabel by the premeditated impertinence of pretending to be devoted to me.’

‘Stop a moment.  I cannot follow that.’  Then she laughed.  ’I will swear that I did not intend to be impertinent.’

‘I hope not.’

‘I am devoted to you.’

‘Lord Silverbridge!’

‘I think you are—­’

‘Stop, stop.  Do not say it.’

‘Well I won’t;—­not now.  But there has been no tomfoolery.’

’May I ask a question, Lord Silverbridge?  You will not be angry?  I would not have you angry with me.’

‘I will not be angry,’ he said.

‘Are you not engaged to marry Lady Mabel Grex?’

‘No.’

’Then I beg your pardon.  I was told that you were engaged to her.  And I thought your choice was so fortunate, so happy!  I have seen no girl here that I admire half so much.  She almost comes up to my idea of what a young woman should be.’

‘Almost!’

’Now I am sure that if you are not engaged to her you must be in love with her, or my praise would have sufficed.’

’Though one knows a Lady Mabel Grex, one may become acquainted with a Miss Boncassen.’

There are moments in which stupid people say clever things, obtuse people say sharp things, and good-natured people say ill-natured things.  ‘Lord Silverbridge,’ she said, ’I did not expect that from you.’

‘Expect what?  I meant it simply.’

’I have no doubt you meant it simply.  We Americans think ourselves sharp, but I have long since found out that we may meet more than our matches here.  I think we will go back.  Mother means to try to get up a quadrille.’

‘You will dance with me?’

’I think not.  I have been walking with you, and I had better dance with someone else.’

‘You can let me have one dance.’

‘I think not.  There will not be many.’

‘Are you angry with me?’

‘Yes, I am; there.’  But as she said this she smiled.  ’The truth is, I thought I was getting the better of you, and you turned round and gave me a pat on the head to show me that you could be master when it pleased you.  You have defended your intelligence at the expense of your good-nature.’

‘I’ll be shot if I know what it all means,’ he said, just as he was parting with her.

CHAPTER 32

Miss Boncassen’s River-Party No.2

Lord Silverbridge made up his mind that as he could not dance with Miss Boncassen he would not dance at all.  He was not angry at being rejected, and when he saw her stand up with Dolly Longstaff he felt no jealousy.  She had refused to dance with him not because she did not like him, but because she did not wish to show that she did like him.  He could understand that, though he had not quite followed