before your card is quite full,' says the Duke, smiling; 'if, indeed, I am yet in time.'

6

"Yes, quite in time,' says Mona. Then she pauses, looking at him so earnestly that he is compelled to return her gaze. You shall have another dance,' she says, in her clear voice, that is perfectly distinct to every one, but you must not call me Mrs. Rodney, I am only Mrs. Geoffrey.'

A dead silence follows. Lady Rodney raises her head, scenting mischief in the air.

'No?' says Lauderdale laughing. But why then? There is no other Mrs. Rodney, is there?'

'No. But there will be when Captain Rodney marries. And Lady Rodney says I have no claim to the name at all. I am only Mrs. Geoffrey.'

She says it all quite simply, with a smile, and a quick blush that arises merely from the effort of having to explain, not from the explanation itself. There is not a touch of malice in her soft eyes or on her parted lips.

Lady Chetwoode looks at her fan and then at Sir Guy. The Duchess, with a grave expression, looks at Lady Rodney. Can her old friend have proved herself unkind to this pretty stranger? Can she have already shown symptoms of that tyrannical temper which, according to the Duchess, is Lady Rodney's chief bane? She says nothing, however, but moving her fan with a beckoning gesture, draws her skirts aside, and motions Mona to seat herself beside her.

Mona obeys, feeling no shrinking from the kindly stout lady who is evidently bent on being all things' to her. It does occur, perhaps, to her laughter-loving mind that there is a paucity of nose about the Duchess, and a rather large amount of too, too solid flesh,' but she smothers all such iniquitous reflections, and commences to talk with her gaily and naturally.

CHAPTER XXIII.

HOW MONA INTERVIEWS THE DUCHESS-AND HOW SHE SUSTAINS CONVERSATION WITH THE RODNEYS' EVIL GENIUS.

FOR Some time they talk together, and then the Duchess, fearing lest she may be keeping Mrs. Geoffrey from the common amusement of the ball-room, says gently:

'You are not dancing much? '

'No,' says Mona, shaking her head. Not-not to-night. I shall soon.'

'But why not to-night?" asks her Grace, who has noticed with curiosity the girl's refusal to dance with a lanky young man in an hussar uniform, who had evidently made it the business of the evening to get introduced to her. Indeed, for an hour he had been feasting his eyes upon her fresh young beauty; and having gone to infinite trouble to get presented to her, had been rewarded for his trouble by a little friendly smile, a shake of the head, and a distinct but kindly refusal to join in the mazy dance.

But why?' asks the Duchess.

'Because,' with a quick blush, 'I am not accustomed to dancing much. Indeed, I only learned today, and I might not be able to dance with everyone.'

'But you were not afraid to dance with Lauderdale, my son?' says the Duchess, looking at her.

'I should never be afraid of him,' returns Mona. 'He has kind eyes. He is '-slowly and meditatively -"very like you.'

The Duchess laughs.

"He may be, of course,' she says.

'But I don't

like to see a gay child like you sitting still. You should dance everything for the night.'

'Well, as I say, I shall soon,' returns Mona, brightening, because Geoffrey has promised to teach me.' "If I were "Geoffrey," I think I shouldn't,' says the Duchess, meaningly. 'Too much

'No?' raising an innocent face. trouble, you think, perhaps. But, bless you, Geoffrey wouldn't mind that, so long as he was giving me pleasure.' At which answer the Duchess is very properly ashamed of both herself and her speech.

I should think very few people would deem it a trouble to serve you,' she says graciously. And perhaps after all, you don't care much about dancing?'

Yes, I do,' says Mona, truthfully. Just now, at least. Perhaps sadly- when I am your age I

shan't.'

This is a bêtise of the first water. And Lady Rodney, who can hear- and is listening to every word, almost groans aloud

The Duchess, on the contrary, gives way to mirth, and leaning back in her chair laughs softly but with evident enjoyment. Mona contemplates her curiously, pensively.

'What have I said?' she asks half plaintively. You laugh, yet I did not mean to be funny. Tell me what I said.'

6

It was only a little touch of nature,' explains her Grace. On that congratulate yourself. Nature is at a discount these days. And I-I love nature. It is so rare; a veritable philosopher's stone. You only told me what my glass tells me daily. That I am not so young as I once was. That, in fact, when sitting next pretty children like you, I am quite old.'

Did I say all that?' asks Mrs. Geoffrey, with wide eyes. Indeed, I think you mistake. Old people have

wrinkles, and they do not talk as you do. And when one is sweet to look at, one is never old.'

To pay a compliment perfectly one must, I think, have at least a few drops of Irish blood in one's veins. As a rule, the happy-go-lucky people of Ireland can bring themselves to believe thoroughly, and without hypocrisy, in almost anything for the time being; can fling themselves heart and soul into their flatteries, and come out of them again as victors. And what other nation is capable of this? To make sweet phrases is one thing, to look as if you felt or meant them is quite another.

The little suspicion of blarney trips softly and naturally from Mona's tongue. She doesn't smile as she speaks, but looks with eyes full of flattering conviction at the stout but comely Duchess. And in truth it be that in Mona's eyes she is sweet to look at, in that she has been kind and tender towards her in her manner.

may

And the Duchess is charmed; pleased beyond measure. That faint touch about the wrinkles was the happiest of the happy. Only that morning her Grace, in spite of her unapproachable maid and unlimited care, had seen an additional line around her mouth that had warned her of youth's decline, and now to meet some one oblivious of this line is sweet to her.

6 Then you didn't go out much in Ireland?' she says, thinking it more graceful to change the conversation at this point.

"Out? Oh, ever so much,' says Mrs. Geoffrey.

Ah!' says the Duchess, feeling puzzled.

perhaps they don't dance in Ireland?'

Then

'Yes, they do indeed, a great deal; at least I have heard so.'

Then I suppose when there you were too young to go out?' pursues the poor Duchess, striving for information.

"I wasn't,' says Mona; I went out a great deal. All day long I was in the open air. That is what made my hands so brown last autumn.'

'Were they brown?'

'As berries,' says Mona genially.

'At least they are a pretty shape,' says the Duchess, glancing at the slim little hands lying gloved in their owner's lap. But I don't think you quite understood the "going out" in the light that I did. I mean, did you go much into society?'

There wasn't much society to go into,' says Mona, 'and I was only fifteen when staying with Aunt Anastasia. She,' confidentially, made rather a grand match for us you know.' (Lady Rodney grinds her teeth, and tells herself she is on the point of fainting.) She married the Provost of Trinity College, but I don't think he did her any good. She is the oddest old thing! Even to think of her now makes me laugh. You should have seen her,' says Mrs. Geoffrey, leaning back in her chair, and giving way to her usual merry laugh, that rings like a peal of silver bells, with her wig that had little curls all over it, and her big poke bonnet like a coal scuttle!'

6

Well, I really wish I had seen her,' says the goodhumoured Duchess, smiling in sympathy, and beginning to feel herself more capable of thorough enjoyment than she has been for years. Was she witty, as all Irish people are said to be?'

Oh dear no,' says Mona, with an emphatic shake of her lovely head. 'She hadn't the least little bit of wit in her composition. She was as solemn as an Eng I mean a Spaniard-(they are all solemn, are they not?), and never made a joke in her life, but she was irresistibly comic all the same.' Then suddenly, • What a very pretty little woman that is over there, and what a lovely dress !'

"Very pretty indeed, and quite good taste and that. She's a Mrs. Lennox, and her husband is our master of