"
Not unlikely the squire of these two ladies was rather loath to leave
this gay assemblage; but he was speedily consoled, for, to his
inexpressible joy, he found, when they got in-doors, that there was no
one else coming to lunch--these three were to be quite by themselves.
And of what did they not talk during this careless, protracted, idling
meal? Curiously enough, it was Nina, not Miss Burgoyne, who appeared to
have chiefly impressed the two visitors on the preceding evening; and
when Lady Cunyngham discovered that she was an old companion and
fellow-student of Lionel's, she was much interested, and would have him
tell her all about his experiences in Naples. And again Miss Honnor
recurred to the difference between amateur and professional acting, that
seemed to have struck her so forcibly the previous night.
[Illustration: "_'Why, you seem to know everybody, Mr. Moore!' she said
to him, with a smile._"]
"Really, Mr. Moore," said she, "you must have an astonishing amount of
good-nature and tolerance. If I had complete command of any art, and saw
a band of amateurs attempting something in it and not even conscious of
their own amateurishness, I don't know whether I should be more inclined
to laugh or to be angry.
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