"Mamma, I've just dropped a pearl," said the Lady Coriander,
bending over the Persian hearthrug.
"From your lips, sweet friend," said Lothaw, who came of age and
entered the room at the same moment.
"No, from my work. It was a very valuable pearl, mamma; papa gave
Isaacs and Sons L50,000 for the two."
"Ah, indeed," said the Duchess, languidly rising; "let us go to
luncheon."
"But your Grace," interposed Lothaw, who was still quite young, and
had dropped on all-fours on the carpet in search of the missing
gem, "consider the value--"
"Dear friend," interposed the Duchess, with infinite tact, gently
lifting him by the tails of his dress-coat, "I am waiting for your
arm."
CHAPTER II.
Lothaw was immensely rich. The possessor of seventeen castles,
fifteen villas, nine shooting-boxes, and seven town houses, he had
other estates of which he had not even heard.
Everybody at Plusham played croquet, and none badly. Next to their
purity of blood and great wealth, the family were famous for this
accomplishment. Yet Lothaw soon tired of the game, and after
seriously damaging his aristocratically large foot in an attempt to
"tight croquet" the Lady Aniseed's ball, he limped away to join the
Duchess.
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