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Rh introduced to Gladys during the course of the afternoon—'doesn't he repent it already, think you?'

'Upon my word, I'm not sure that he doesn't,' said Granville.

'If you ask me,' said his friend, 'I should say there isn't a doubt of it. I've been watching him pretty closely. Mark my words, he's a miserable man!'

'Well, I'm half inclined to agree with you,' said Granville. 'I didn't think so two or three days since, but now I do. You see, there are camels' backs and there are last straws (though I wish there were no proverbs); and there never was a heavier straw than yesterday's—'gad! 'twas as heavy as the rest of the load! I mean the perfectly awful scene in the Park, which you know about, and the whole town knows about, and the low papers will publish, confound them! Yes, I believe you're right; he can't get over this.'

'Poor chap!' said Granville's friend.

'You may well say that. Alfred is no genius'—Granville was, apparently—'but he