"
"Pardon, madame, but no house can be poor when it is a casket to
contain such a jewel."
"There!" said Lucy somewhat satirically to the young men, while
Mrs. Jasher blushed and bridled, "what Englishman could turn such
a compliment? It reminds one of Georgian times."
"We are more sober now than my fathers were then," said Hope,
smiling, "and I am sure if Random thought for a few minutes he
could produce something pretty. Go on, Random."
"My brain is not equal to the strain after dinner," said Sir
Frank.
As for Donna Inez, she did not speak, but sat smiling quietly in
her corner of the room, looking remarkably handsome. As a young
girl Lucy was pretty, and Mrs. Jasher was a comely widow, but
neither one had the majestic looks of the Spanish lady. She
smiled, a veritable queen amidst the gim-crack ornaments of Mrs.
Jasher's parlor, and Sir Frank, who was fathoms deep in love,
could not keep his eyes off her face.
For a few minutes the conversation was frivolous, quite the
Shakespeare and musical glasses kind of speech. Then Mrs.
Jasher, who had no idea that her good dinner should be wasted in
charming nothings, introduced the subject of the mummy by a
reference to Professor Braddock.
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