Lady Mickleham grew quite red. This made me feel more at my
ease.
"No, sir. If you had--"
"Goodness knows!" I murmured, shaking my head.
"As it happened, however, my son entered in the middle of this
disgraceful--"
"It was at the beginning," said I, with a regretful sigh.
Upon this--and I have really never been so pleased at anything in
all my life--the Countess, the violence of her emotions
penetrating to her very fingers, gripped the handle of her
"starers" with such force that she broke it in two! She was a
woman of the world, and in a moment she looked as if nothing had
happened. With me it was different; and that I am not now on
Lady Mickleham's visiting list is due to (inter alia et enormia)
the fact that I laughed! It was out before I could help it. In
a second I was as grave as a mute. The mischief was done. The
Countess rose. I imitated her example.
"You are amused?" said she, and her tones banished the last of my
mirth. I stumbled on my hat and it rolled to her feet.
"It is not probable," she observed, "that after Miss Foster's
marriage you will meet her often. You will move in--er--somewhat
different circles."
"I may catch a glimpse of her in her carriage from the top of my
'bus," said I.
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