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"Belmanoir?" inquired Lord D'Egmont, twirling his cane.
"Enamoured of the Pompadour, is he not--saving your presence, LadyLavvy!"
Lavinia let fall her fan.
"The Pompadour! He had best have a care!"
"I believe there has already been some unpleasantness between hisMajesty and the fair Jeanne on the subject of Devil. Since then she issupposed to have turned on him a cold shoulder."
"_I_ heard 'twas he wearied of madame," said Markham.
"Well, whichever it was, I am glad the episode is closed," decidedLavinia. "'Tis too dangerous a game to play with Louis' mistresses. Oh,mon cher Chevalier! if I had not forgot your presence! But I am sure yousay dreadful ill-natured things of our George, now don't you? Oh, andhave you held my negus all this time? How monstrous good of you! There,I will drink it, and Julian shall take the glass away.... _Voila_!" Shehanded it to D'Egmont and rapped Mr. Selwyn's knuckles with her fan,looking archly up at him as he stood behind her chair.
"Naughty man! Will you have done whispering in my ear? I vow I will notlisten to your impudences! No, nor laugh at them neither! Sir Gregory,you have given me no answer. When will Tracy return? For the Cavendishrout on Wednesday week? Ah, say yes!"
"Certainly I will say yes, fair tormentor! But, to tell the truth, Tracysaid no word of coming to London when I saw him."
She pouted.
"Now I hate you, Sir Gregory! And he has been absent since May! Oh,Julian, back already? You shall escort me to the fireworks then. Oh, myfan! Where is it? I know I dropped it on the ground--Selwyn, if you havetaken it--Oh, Dicky, you have it! Thank you! See, I am going withJulian, and you may ogle Mrs. Clive, whom I see walking over there--yes,positively you may, and I shall not be jealous! Very well, Julian, I amcoming! Chevalier, I shall hope to see you at the rout on Wednesdayweek, but you must wait upon me before then."
The Frenchman brightened.
"Madame is too good. I may then call at Wyncham 'Ouse? _Vraiment_, Ishall but exist until then!" In a perfectly audible whisper, he confidedto Wilding that "_miladi etait ravissante! mais ravissante!_"
Lady Lavinia went off on her gratified cavalier's arm, encountering manybows and much admiration as she passed down the walk, leaving herhusband not to ogle the beautiful Kitty, as she had advised, but tosaunter away in the direction of the Pavilion in company with TomWilding and Markham.
D'Egmont guided my lady into one of the winding alleys, and theypresently came out on a large lawn, dotted over with people of allconditions. Towards them was coming Lavinia's brother--Colonel LordRobert Belmanoir--very richly clad and rakish in appearance. When he sawhis sister, a look of surprise came into his florid face, and he madeher a sweeping leg.
"'Pon my honour--Lavinia!"
My lady was not fond of her brother, and acknowledged the salutationwith a brief
nod.
"I am delighted to see you, Robert," she said primly.
"The mere word 'delighted' in no way expresses my sensations," repliedthe Colonel in the drawling, rather unpleasant voice peculiar both tohim and to the Duke. "Your servant, D'Egmont. I imagined, Lavvy, thatyou were in the country?"
"Richard brought me to town last Tuesday," she answered.
"How unwise of him!" taunted the Colonel. "Or had he no choice?"
She tossed her head angrily.
"If you are minded to be disagreeable, Robert, pray do not let me detainyou!" she flashed.
D'Egmont was quite unembarrassed by this interchange of civilities. Heknew the Belmanoir family too well to be made uncomfortable by theirbickerings.
"Shall we leave him?" he asked Lavinia, smiling.
"Yes," she pouted. "He is determined to be unpleasant."
"My dear sister! On the contrary, I believe I can offer you someamusement. Lovelace is in town."
"Captain _Harold_?" she cried incredulously.
"The same."
