Page:Lady Anne Granard 2.pdf/222

220 who might be tempted to dip her hand into the public purse; but she was consoled by remembering that Lady Jemima Highcairns said she had locked it in Lady Anne's work-box, adding, "One can neever be too carful of money reeleegously appropriated; an our meenister says the deevil is a bizzy boddy in aw public pleeses." Count Riccardini was folding his cloak about him when Lady Anne alighted, and, of course, he offered her his arm. She was rather late, but her mind, invigorated by actual relief, and anxious to the utmost to pass off her seizure of yesterday as a mere bagatelle, she walked down the whole length of the room, in order to speak to her friends. "I am so glad to see you to-day!" said the duchess; "you can't think, for, do you know, the same wretch who frightened you came first to me." "How strange!" said Lady Anne, with well-feigned surprise; "what did he say?" "Why, the oddity of the matter is that he did actually ask if I were not Lady Anne Granard, and when assured I was not, he said something about one fine woman being like another; I don't know what, for the fellow fluttered me; I was sure he was an improper man to be here." "Undoubtedly he was. I fear he has pillaged more stalls than one; he called me by a name not my own, but had evidently got hold of several—my friend Count Riccardini sent him off in a twinkling; he had arrived