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111 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. Ill before, did they 1 I don't approve of lords, as an institution. I think the world has got beyond that far beyond. " Oh, so do I. I don't approve of myself in the least. Sometimes it comes over me how I should object to myself if I were not myself, don't you know "? But that's rather good, by the way not to be vain-glorious." " Why don't you give it up, then?" Miss Stackpole inquired. " Give up a 1 " asked Lord Warburton, meeting her harsh inflection with a very mellow one. " Give up being a lord." " Oh, I am so little of one ! One would really forget all about it, if you wretched Americans were not constantly remind- ing one. However, I do think of giving up the little there is left of it one of these days." " I should like to see you do it," Henrietta exclaimed, rather grimly. " I will invite you to the ceremony ; we will have a supper and a dance." " Well," said Miss Stackpole, " I like to see all sides. I don't approve of a privileged class, but I like to hear what they have got to say for themselves." " Mighty little, as you see ! " " I should like to draw you out a little more," Henrietta continued. " But you are always looking away. You are afraid of meeting my eye. I see you want to escape me." " No, I am only looking for those despised potatoes." " Please explain about that young lady your sister then I don't understand about her. Is she a Lady *? " " She's a capital good girl." " I don't like the way you say that as if you wanted to change the subject. Is her position inferior to yours ? " " We neither of us have any position to speak of ; but she is better off than I, because she has none of the bother." "Yes, she doesn't look as if she had much bother. I wish I had as little bother as that. You do produce quiet people over here, whatever you may do." " Ah, you see one takes life easily, on the whole," said Lord Warburton. " And then you know we are very dull. Ah, we can be dull when we try ! " " I should advise you to try something else. I shouldn't know what to talk to your sister about ; she looks so different. Is that silver cross a badge 1 " " A badge^" " A sign of rank."