all bad when the diamond stick-ups are in and she is all arranged.  She went on talking all the time while her maid was fixing it, just as if we were alone in the room.  She told me I had grown six inches since she was with us at Arcachon three years ago, and that I was quite good-looking.  She said they had a huge party for the balls, some rather nice people, and Lady Doraine and one or two others she hated.  I said why did she have people she hated—­that I would not if I were a Countess like her; so she said those were often the very ones one was obliged to have, because the nice men wouldn’t come without them.

[Sidenote:  The Test of a Gentleman]

She hoped I had some decent clothes, as she had got a tame millionaire for me.  So I said if it was Mr. Wertz she need not bother because I knew him; and, besides, I only intended to marry a gentleman, unless, of course, I should get past twenty and passe, and then, goodness knows what I might take.  She laughed, and said it was ridiculous to be so particular, but that anyway that would be no difficulty, as every one was a gentleman now who paid for things.

Then she sent me off to dress, just as she began to put some red stuff on her lips.  It is wonderful how nice she looks when everything is done, even though she has quite a different coloured chest to the top bit that shows above her pearl collar, which is brickish-red from hunting.  So is her face, but she is such a dear that one admires even her great big nose and little black eyes, which one would think hideous in other people.  I met Tom just going into her room as I came out; he said he had come to borrow some scent from her.  He looks younger than she does, but they were the same age when they got married, weren’t they?

He kissed me and said I was a dear little cousin, and had I been boxing any one’s ears lately.  Before I could box his for talking so, Octavia called out to him to let me go, or I should be late, and had I not to scurry just?  Agnes fortunately had everything ready, but I fussed so that my face was crimson when I got downstairs, and every one was already there.

There seemed to be dozens of people.  You will see in the list in the Morning Post to-morrow what a number of the Nazeby set there are here.

Lord Valmond is here, but he did not see me until we were at dinner.  I went in with Mr. Hodgkinson, who is contesting this Division; he is quite young and wears an eyeglass, which he keeps dropping.  He really looks silly, but they say he says some clever things if you give him time, and that he will be a great acquisition to the party he has joined now, as it is much easier to get made a peer by the Radicals; and that is what he wants, as his father made a huge fortune in bones and glue.

He did not talk to me at all, but eat his dinner at first, and then said:  “I don’t believe in talking before the fish, do you?”