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3 02 BY ORDER OF THE CZAR.

bankes ; that Dick liked him ; and she responded at once sympathetically to his questions.

" The Milbankes seem," he said, " to be having a de- lightful time in Venice."

" Then you have heard ? " replied Mrs. Chetwynd.

" Oh, no. I don't know that I expected to hear ; but I have been reading this morning's descriptions of the Venetian fetes."

" Yes ; very picturesque and impressive, no doubt," said Mrs. Chetwynd. " Dick expected to have had a line or two from Philip ; but not a word."

" When people are [very happy they are not given to very much letter writing, I expect."

" I should have thought you would have heard from Walter Milbanke ; he is a great friend of yours, is he not?*

"Oh, yes," said Svvynford, "I like Walter very much; a good fellow ; comes into the city occasionally and does a little speculation ; just the same to him whether he wins or loses ; always cheerful."

" I suppose," replied Mrs. Chetwynd, " it is hardly what may be called etiquette to congratulate you upon all I hear about your successes in that mysterious part of London you call the city ? "

" Oh, I am not much of a man for etiquette, Mrs. Chet- wynd, and whatever you might say to me would only be pleasant, I'm sure, under any circumstances. I have been very lucky lately, that is one of the reasons why I am here to-day. I must ask your advice about one or two pictures. It's a dispensation of Providence, no doubt ; if a man's lucky one way, he's unfortunate in another."

" But a man," replied Mrs. Chetwynd, " has so many resources, so many various means of consolation."

'You think so? I suppose you are right. I maybe the exception to the rule. But there is one kind of disap- pointment which a fellow never gets over."