Coralie, English by birth, but who had
risen to the highest rank in whatever " carrière"
she followed. There was the great
singer, who had shrieked and declaimed
the tragedy queens of opera, who had denounced
the craven Pollio many thousand
nights in her life, who had bearded wicked
Counts de Luna as many times more, who
had sang in the garden turning over the
stage jewels with grinning Mephistopheles
and enraptured Faust; and here she was
taking an ice. Here on the terrace is the
smaller lady, who sits on a lower throne,
but has far more subjects and adorers. Here
is that Baker, known to every one who
comes to these places, who dogs lords and
ladies, and makes them stand while he
pours in his little adulatory small shot;
and here is quite a happy hunting ground
for those ladies of good connexion and title
even, whose wings have been a little burnt
as they fluttered through town drawing-
rooms, but who find them quite sufficient
to support them here, the atmosphere is so
dense.

He is infinitely amusing is Grainger, his
stories and his scandal, which I can quite
conceive to be perfectly true. I can see he
has got into spirits as he tells these things;
and though it is rather light and unprofitable
food for the mind, it takes off his
mind from things more dangerous. What
we said last night has left a deep impression:
and to think of one so clever, so
observant, so brilliant even, to have been
shipwrecked in this way, indirectly through
our doing! I must ask my dear pet to
write me out something kind and sympathetic,
which I can show to this poor waif
and comfort him. That little heart has
done the mischief, and she must make up
a little, and I lay a husband's despotic
commands on her. For I have set my
heart on bringing this man back into the
path of decency and order, and feel a conviction
I shall succeed, if I could get but
some power and influence over him. I say
again, my pet must pray.

Sunday.—How strange is a Sunday in
this place! There is an English church, a
chaplain, and a regular round of duty;
but I think there would be less affectation
in ignoring altogether such religious machinery.
It is at variance with the place,
quite an anachronism. For even in the
relations of religion to the state—I mean
to the " administration" there used to enter
something grotesque and curious. When
the use of the Lutheran church was graciously
conceded to English worshippers
it was an article strictly insisted on, " that
there should be no preaching against going
to the Bank"— pleasant euphuism for
gambling. This was a serious warning.
Later on, as the church and chaplain had
to be kept up by voluntary contributions
and " a book," which was sent round to
the visitors, the company found that this
was telling a little indirectly on their interests.
Testy fathers grew impatient at
these applications: " infernal begging
place," "have to pay my own man at
home"—complaints which were, of course,
nothing to the Bank. But when it was
added, " I shall take care not to come back
here again," it took another shape. Like
the " refait " at their own game, it told,
on the whole, against the player. So it
was conveyed to the chaplain that in their
zeal for the advancement of religion the
administration would be happy to pay him
his salary, and a handsome one too; the
collecting by a book was scarcely dignified,
&c. This tempting offer had to be declined,
possibly with reluctance; but was a
little too strong. The wages of preaching
to be furnished by the wages of sin! By-
and-by, too, it might have been required
that a word or two should be delicately insinuated
in favour of the harmlessness of
the game.

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