He had forgotten the London world,--forgotten, amidst his midsummer ramblings, that the London season was still ablaze; and there, stragglers from the great focus, fine people, with languid tones and artificial jaded smiles, caught him in his wanderer's dress, and walking side by side with the infant wonder of Mr.Rugge's show, exquisitely neat indeed, but still in a coloured print, of a pattern familiar to his observant eye in the windows of many a shop lavish of tickets, and inviting you to come in by the assurance that it is "selling off." The artist stopped, coloured, bowed, answered the listless questions put to him with shy haste: he then attempted to escape; they would not let him.
"You MUST come back and dine with us at the Star and Garter," said Lady Selina Vipont.

"A pleasant party,--you know most of them,--the Dudley Slowes, dear old Lady Frost, those pretty Ladies Prymme, Janet and Wilhelmina." "We can't let you off," said, sleepily, Mr.Crampe, a fashionable wit, who rarely made more than one bon mot in the twenty-four hours, and spent the rest of his time in a torpid state.
VANCE.--"Really you are too kind, but I am not even dressed for--" LADY SELINA.--"So charmingly dressed-so picturesque! Besides, what matters?
Every one knows who you are.

Where on earth have you been ?" VANCE.--"Rambling about, taking sketches." LADY SELINA (directing her eyeglass towards Lionel and Sophy, who stood aloof).--"But your companions, your brother?
and that pretty little girl,--your sister, I suppose ?" VANCE (shuddering).--"No, not relations.

I took charge of the boy,--clever young fellow; and the little girl is--" LADY SELINA.--"Yes.

The little girl is--" VANCE.--"A little girl, as you see: and very pretty, as you say,--subject for a picture." LADY SELINA (indifferently).--"Oh, let the children go and amuse themselves somewhere.