’You place particular confidence in Russett’s fidelity to his word, Riette—­as you have been hearing yourself called.  You should be serious by this time.  Russett won’t bear much more.  I counted on the night of the Ball for the grand effect.  You will extinguish every woman there—­ and if he is absent?’

‘I shall excuse him.’

’You are not in a position to be so charitable.  You ought to know your position, and yourself too, a little better than you do.  How could you endure poverty?  Chillon Kirby stands in his uniform, and all’s told.  He can manoeuvre, we know.  He got the admiral away to take him to those reviews cleverly.  But is he thinking of your interests when he does it?  He requires twenty years of active service to give you a roof to your head.  I hate such allusions.  But look for a moment at your character:  you must have ordinary luxuries and pleasures, and if you were to find yourself grinding against common necessities—­imagine it!  Russett is quite manageable.  He is, trust me!  He is a gentleman; he has more ability than most young men:  he can do anything he sets his mind to do.  He has his great estates and fortune all in his own hands.  We call him eccentric.  He is only young, with a lot of power.  Add, he’s in love, and some one distracts him.  Not love, do you say?—­you look it.  He worships.  He has no chance given him to show himself at his best.  Perhaps he is off again now.  Will you bet me he is not?’

‘I should incline to make the bet, if I betted,’ said Henrietta.  ’His pride is in his word, and supposing he’s in love, it’s with his pride, which never quits him.’

’There’s firmness in a man who has pride of that kind.  You must let me take you back to Baden.  I hold to having you with me to-day.  You must make an appearance there.  The admiral will bring us his Miss Kirby to-morrow, if he is bound to remain here to-night.  There’s no harm in his bachelor dinners.  I suspect his twinges of gout come of the prospect of affairs when he lands in England.  Remember our bill with Madame Clemence.  There won’t be the ghost of a bank-note for me if Russett quits the field; we shall all be stranded.’

Henrietta inquired:  ‘Does it depend on my going with you to-day?’

’Consider, that he is now fancying a thousand things.  We won’t talk of the road to Paris.’

A shot of colour swept over Henrietta.

’I will speak to papa:—­if he can let me go.  He has taken to Miss Kirby.’

‘Does she taste well?’

Henrietta debated.  ’It’s impossible to dislike her.  Oh! she is wild!  She knows absolutely nothing of the world.  She can do everything we can’t—­or don’t dare to try.—­Men would like her.  Papa’s beginning to doat.  He says she would have made a first-rate soldier.  She fears blood as little as her morning cup of milk.  One of the orderlies fell rather badly from a frightened