D’Egmont looked very crestfallen at having his walk with the goddess thus cut short, but he had perforce to kiss her hand and to obey.

“Yes. I thought you would be pleased,” remarked Lord Robert, and chuckled. “Allow me to point out to you that there is a chair⁠—two chairs⁠—in fact, quite a number of chairs⁠—immediately behind you.”

She sat down, chattering excitedly.

“Why, ’tis nigh on five years since I saw Harry! Has he changed? Lud! but he will deem me an old woman! Is he like to be in town for long, I wonder?⁠—Dear me, Bob, look at the two ladies over behind that seat!⁠—Gracious! what extraordinary coifs, to be sure! And cherry ribbons, too!⁠ ⁠… Tell me, Bob, where did you meet Harry Lovelace?”

The Colonel, who, far from attending to her monologue, had been sending amorous glances across to a palpably embarrassed girl, who hung on her papa’s arm while that gentleman stopped to speak to a stout dowager, brought his gaze reluctantly back to his sister.