Young men formed the company, to whom she addressed counsel and command with the utmost freedom and a conscious authority.

Through all her speech a certain undercurrent of scorn, a half-veiled touch of disdain, was perceptible.

At their parting she invited the English visitors to come again, kissed Mrs Browning on the lips, and received Browning's kiss upon her hand.

The second call upon her was less agreeable.

She sat warming her feet in a circle of eight or nine ill-bred men, representatives of "the ragged Red diluted with the lower theatrical." If any other mistress of a house had behaved so unceremoniously, Browning declared that he would have walked out of the room; and Mrs Browning left with the impression--"she does not care for me." They had exerted themselves to please her, but felt that it was in vain; "we couldn't penetrate, couldn't really _touch_ her." Once Browning met her near the Tuileries and walked the length of the gardens with her arm upon his.