CLEVE VERNEY was in harness again — attending the House with remarkable punctuality; for the eye of the noble peer, his uncle, was upon him. He had the division lists regularly on his table, and if Cleve’s name was missing from any one of even moderate importance, his uncle took leave to ask an explanation. Cleve had also reasons of his own for working diligently at the drudgery of public life. His march was not upon solid ground, but over a quaking bog, every undulation and waver of which was answered by a qualm at his heart.

Still it was only some nice management of time and persons; it was a mere matter of presence of mind, of vigilance, of resource, to which he felt — at least hoped he might be found equal, and all must end well. Was not his uncle sixty-six his last birthday? People might natter and say he looked nothing like it; but the red book so pronounced, and there is no gainsaying that sublime record. After all, his uncle was not an everlasting danger. Time and the hour will end the longest day; and then must come the title, and estates, and a quiet heart at last.

When the House did not interfere, Cleve was of course seen at all the proper places. On the night of which I am now speaking there was among others Lady Dorminster’s ball, and a brilliant muster of distinguished persons.

On that crowded floor, in those celebrated salons, in an atmosphere of light and music, in which moved so much of what is famous, distinguished, splendid, is seen the figure of Cleve Verney. Everyone knew that slight and graceful figure, and the oval face, delicate features, and large, dark, dreamy eyes, that never failed to impress you with the same ambiguous feeling. It was Moorish, it was handsome; but there was a shadow there — something secret and selfish, and smilingly, silently insolent.

This session he had come out a little, and made two speeches of real promise. The minister had complimented his uncle upon them, and had also complimented him. The muse was there; something original and above routine — genius perhaps — and that passion for distinction which breaks a poor man’s heart, and floats the rich to greatness.

A man of Cleve’s years, with his position, with his promise, with London life and Paris life all learned by rote, courted and pursued, wary, contemptuous, sensual, clever, ambitious — is not young. The whole chaperon world, with its wiles, was an open book for him. For him, like the man in the German legend, the earth under which they mined and burrowed had grown to his eyes transparent, and he saw the gnomes at work. For him young ladies’ smiles were not light and magic — only marsh fires and tricks. To him old and young came up and simpered or fawned; but they dimpled, or ogled, or grinned, all in the Palace of Truth. Truth is power, but not always pretty. For common men the surface is best; all beyond is knowledge — an acquisition of sorrow.

Therefore, notwithstanding his years, the clear olive oval of his handsome face, the setting — void of line or colour — of those deep dark eyes, so enthusiastic, yet so cold, the rich wave of his dark hair, and the smooth transparency of temples and forehead, and all the tints and signs of beautiful youth, Cleve Verney was well stricken in years of knowledge; and of that sad gift he would not have surrendered an iota in exchange for the charms and illusions of innocence, so much for the most part do men prefer power to happiness.

“How d’ye do, Miss Oldys?” said this brilliant young man of actualities and expectations.

“Oh, Mr. Verney, you here!”

This Miss Caroline Oldys was just nine-and-twenty. Old, like him, in the world’s dismal psychology, but with one foolish romance still at her heart; betrayed into a transient surprise, smiling in genuine gladness, almost forgetting herself, and looking quite country-girlish in the momentary effusion. It is not safe affecting an emotion with men like Cleve, especially when it does not flatter them. He did not care a farthing whether she was surprised or not, or glad or sorry. But her very eye and gesture told him that she had marked him as he stood there, and had chosen the very seat on which her partner had placed her of malice aforethought. Fine acting does it need to succeed with a critic like Cleve.

“Yes, I here — and where’s the wonder?”

“Why — who was it? —some one told me only half an hour ago, you were somewhere in France.”

“Well, if it was a man he told a story, and if a lady she made a mistake,” said Cleve, coolly but tartly, looking steadily at her. “And the truth is, I wanted a yacht, and I went down to look at her, tried her, liked her, and bought her. Doesn’t it sound very like a marriage?”

Caroline laughed.

“That’s your theory — we’re all for sale, and handed over to the best bidder.”

“Pretty waltz,” said Cleve, waving his slender hand just the least in the world to the music. “Pretty thing!”

He did not use much ceremony with this young lady — his cousin in some remote way — who, under the able direction of her mother, Lady Wimbledon, had once pursued him in a barefaced way for nearly three years; and who, though as we have seen, her mother had by this time quite despaired, yet liked him with all the romance that remained to her.

“And who are you going to marry, Caroline? There’s Sedley — I see him over there. What do you say to Sedley?”

“No, thanks — much obliged — but Sedley, you know, has seen his fate in that mysterious lady in Wales, or somewhere.”

“Oh? has he?” He signed to Sedley to come to them.

Looking through the chinks and chasms that now and then opened in the distinguished mob of which he formed a unit, he occasionally saw the stiff figure and small features of his pompous uncle, Lord Verney, who was talking affably to Lady Wimbledon. Lord Verney did not wear his agreeable simper. He had that starch and dismal expression, rather, which came with grave subjects, and he was tapping the fingers of his right hand upon the back of his left, in time to the cadence of his periods, which he did when delivering matter particularly well worth hearing. It plainly did not displease Lady Wimbledon, whatever his discourse might be. “I’m to be married to Caroline, I suppose. I wish that old woman was at the bottom of the Red Sea.”

Cleve looked straight in the eyes of the Honourable Miss Caroline Oldys, and said he, with a smile, “Lady Wimbledon and my uncle are deep in some mystery — is it political? Have you an idea?”

Caroline Oldys had given up blushing very long ago indeed; but there was the confusion, without the tint of a blush in her face, as he said these words.

“I dare say — mamma’s a great politician.”

“Oh! I know that. By Jove, my uncle’s looking this way. I hope he’s not coming.”

“Would you mind taking me to mamma?”

“No — pray stay for a moment. Here’s Sedley.”

And the young man, whom we know pretty well, with the bold blue eyes and golden moustaches, and good frank handsome face, approached smiling.

“How are you, Sedley?” said Cleve, giving him two fingers. “Caroline Oldys says you’ve had an adventure. Where was it?”

“The lady in black, you know, in Wales,” reminded Miss Oldys.

“Oh! to be sure,” said Sedley, laughing. “A lady in gray, it was. I saw her twice. But that’s more than a year old, and there has been nothing ever since.”

“Do go on.”

Sedley laughed.

“It was at Cardyllian, in the church. She lived at Malory — that dark old place you went to see with the Verneys, the day you were at Cardyllian — don’t you remember?”

“Oh, yes — what a romantic place!”

“What an awfully cross old fellow, old enough to be her father, but with the air of her husband, guarding her like a dragon, and eyeing every fellow that came near as if he’d knock him down; a lean, white-whiskered, bald old fellow, with bushy eyebrows, and a fierce face, and eyes jumping out of his head, and lame of one foot, too. Not a beauty, by any means.”

“Where did you see him?” said Cleve.

“I did not see him — but Christmass Owen the boatman told me.”

“Well, and which is your fate — which is to kill you — the husband or wife?” inquired Cleve, looking vaguely among the crowd.

“Oh, the wife, as he calls her, is really quite beautiful, melancholy and that, you know. I’d have found out all about them, but they left before I had time to go back, but Verney was at Cardyllian, when I was there.”

“When was that?” asked Cleve.

“I mean when these people were at Malory. Cleve was much more gone about her than I was — at least so I’ve heard,” answered Sedley.

“That’s very ungrateful of you, Sedley. I never interfered, upon my honour. I saw her once in church, and accompanied him in his pursuit at his earnest request, and I never saw her again. Are you going on to the Halbury’s, Caroline?”

“Yes; are you?”

“No, quite used up. Haven’t slept since Wednesday night.”

Here a partner came to claim Miss Caroline.

“I’ll go with you,” said Sedley.

“Very well,” answered Cleve, without looking back. “Come to my lodgings, Sedley — we’ll smoke, shall we? I’ve got some capital cigars.”

“I don’t care. I’m going on also.”

“What a delicious night!” exclaimed Tom Sedley, looking up at the stars. “Suppose we walk — it isn’t far.”

“I don’t care — let us walk,” said Cleve.

So walk they did. It was not far to Cleve’s lodgings, in a street off Piccadilly. The young men had walked rather silently; for, as it seemed to Sedley, his compani............