The quiet enjoyment of the society of her friends, which had hitherto been the position of our heroine, was interrupted soon by the arrival of a favourite companion of Everard’s. Harry Dunstan leaped lightly from his cabriolet, gracefully entered the drawing room, shook hands with a glad smile with all the Hunsden party, bowed courteously to Alixe and her mother and sitting down conversed in the most agreeable manner. What there was in all this to displease Alixe we know not, but she felt an instinctive aversion for Captain Dunstan, of which he was far from being aware. He was handsome, gay, rather clever and was moreover a Captain in the Blues and much admired in general. But to this rule, Mlle de Fleury was the exception. However, a few days almost reconciled her to his presence. He was so prévenant, so attentive to old Mrs Price, so jokingly fond of Everard. And though it would have been pleasanter certainly to have been only with the Prices, yet it was unjust to dislike him and think him an intruder.

Another arrival caused great pleasure to Alixe. It was none other than General Koss, the friend of her mother and the indulgent playmate of her childhood. After dinner they were taking their usual midnight stroll, when General Koss abruptly said, –

“Well, and how do you like Captain Dunstan?”

“Oh, I like him very well now, he is very agreeable very pleasant and apparently kind.”

“Apparently, yes. I asked you what you thought of him because I thought him a perfect specimen of a real man of the world, and in this case, I thought you would judge more impartially than you are in the habit of doing of those sort of people – of that sort of person,” added he, after a moment's pause, half smiling. Alixe blushed and answered eagerly, –

“Oh, but they are not all alike. There is a difference, a great difference.”

“Not a great difference, there is some certainly. Different contemplations will produce difficult feelings – and where there are fewer incentives to evince, the outward subjects of [a] corrupted heart will be fewer. But in the groundlessness of character, they are all alike: selfish, unprincipled, heartless and unfeeling. Their lives are spent in rebelling against the laws of God and trampling on the rights of man. Pardon me, my dear young friend, if my expressions appear violent.