might have seen where your sympathies would
lead you. And who does not sympathise with such
gallantry? Why you yourselves, who generally
judge all things by success, you, whom Napoleon
called a nation of shopkeepers, and who think
nothing legitimate but trade—is not that true,
that you think nothing legitimate but trade?"

This voluntary allusion to trade, which I was
told to avoid so strictly, puzzled me more
than ever. Is this woman so offended at my
being introduced by the lady of the house that
she is sacrificing her own faction in order to
gratify her spite upon me? If so, the best
thing I can do is to ingratiate myself with her
by showing my knowledge, and ridiculing the
opposite party.

"Your own words contradict you there,
madame. We show our unselfishness by
sympathising with such a hopeless cause.
Remember the overwhelming force of the Russians;
remember," I continued, more loudly, for she
was about to interrupt me, "the weapons they
employ against their victims, arrests, imprisonments,
the stick, the knout, Siberia. You
know what Siberia is, madame? We have
always been told that few who go there return;
can you tell us a different story? Perhaps you
know what is the first stage to Siberia?"

Our rival opposite made an hysterical movement,
from which I saw that the shot had told
on her. But my countess was not yet reconciled.
Instead of telling me the choicest piece
of gossip that had ever circulated, she looked
offended, and I began to suspect that the piece
of gossip in question could not be safely told on
a first acquaintance.

"If you will let me give you a piece of
advice," said my neighbour, in a low and
confidential voice, "you will not speak of such
things at a large dinner-party. How do you
know who is on the other side of you? English
people do not recognise the old code of
honour, but it is very strictly enforced here,
and you might be involved in a serious quarrel.
Some of our gentlemen are dead shots."

"Yes," I replied, with a ringing laugh, "but
some of them never shoot without a keeper."
There was a sensation near us, and another
hysterical movement from our rival.

"I see you are incorrigible," said the countess,
with an uneasy motion, which I interpreted as
meaning that my last remarks had been rather
too loud, and that I was drawing too much
attention on our colloquy. I therefore lowered
my voice, and asked if she went much to the
opera?

"Twice a week," she replied.

"Did not you lose a valuable singer a few
years ago?"

"We never lose valuable singers. The grand-
duke will always pay the highest sums to retain
them; and as they know that they are appreciated
here, they remain."

"I thought this one left because she was a
little too much appreciated, and that her travelling
companion returned without her."

"I do not quite catch your allusion. In the
summer most of our singers leave, and they
generally recruit themselves at the baths. The
doctors have always sent me to Kesselbad, but
I greatly prefer Carlsbad, or some of the really
aristocratic places. Kesselbad is a miserable
place, I think. Have you ever been there?"

"I don't quite catch the name," I replied, in
turn. "Do you like Baden, or Homburg?"

"How can you ask me? I detest all places
given up to gambling. It is so degrading. It
lowers the whole tone of the place. Our
husbands get in bad ways; our society is spoilt;
nothing but the outcasts of all the great capitals
tals are to be found there, and Kesselbad is
the worst of all. At other tables you may
think you have some chance of winning,
that the play is fair, and you may abandon
yourself to the excitement; but no respectable
person plays at Kesselbad, and he must be a
fool indeed who can't resist the temptation."

How hard she is on her husband, I thought.
She has never forgiven him the loss of her
money; however, I can turn the subject in a
way that will suit her better. "The only game
that I approve of," I said, in a low voice, "is
whist."

"Sir!" said the countess, looking round at
me.

"Especially when one plays with people whom
one knows," I continued.

"Sir!" said the countess again.

"Some ladies, I know, will never play except
with their husbands for partners, and I dare say
they are wise."

"What is the meaning of all this?" asked the
countess.

"The meaning is simply, madame, that if you
look across the table, you will see a lady who
might have a variety of such partners, and
would be sure of having one of them every time
of cutting afresh." And, as I said this, I looked
round at my partner with a meaning smile,
expecting to find that my last remark had installed
me fully in her favour.

I had only just noticed that instead of this
she looked furious, and was gasping for breath,
when the large folding-doors in the middle of
the room were flung open, and a new guest
came in. He was not announced, and nobody
rose to receive him, but the footmen formed in
a double line to let him pass, and silence fell at
once on the company. The new comer was
dressed in a snuff- brown morning coat, and had
a brown wide-awake in his hand. An easy-chair
was wheeled up for him a little distance from
the table, and he sat down without speaking.

"I can't see you all," he said at length.
"Take away those flower-pots. One, two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight—why, you've got
thirty people at table; a grand dinner; no one
told me of it. Who let me in and didn't tell me?''

One of the footmen came forward with
profuse bows, and admitted that he was guilty.

"Then just you go round to the palace and
get me a uniform, sword, shako, and tunic, and
bring it as quick as you can. I shan't feel at
ease in this brilliant company till I am properly