say, Watson, do you think I ought to take notice of these words?"

'"Would your lordship like them stronger?"

'"One moment, if you please, Captain O'Grady," said Major Watson, as,
opening the door of the chaise, he sprang out. "Lord Dudley de Vere has
detailed to me, and of course correctly, the whole of his last night's
proceedings. He has expressed himself as ready and anxious to apologise
to your friend for any offence he may have given him--in fact, that
their families are in some way connected, and any falling out would be
a very unhappy thing between them; and, last of all, Lord Dudley has
resigned his appointment as aide-de-camp, and resolved on leaving
Ireland; in two hours more he will sail from this. So I trust, that
under every circumstance, you will see the propriety of not pressing the
affair any further."

'"With the apology----"

'"That" of course," said Watson.

'"I say," cried Herbert, "we shall be late at the Pigeon-house; it's
half-past seven."

'Watson whispered a few words into his ear; he was silent for a second,
and a slight crimson flush settled on his cheek.

"'It won't do for me if they talk of this afterwards; but tell him--I
mean Hinton--that I am sorry; that is, I wish him to forgive----"

'"There, there," said I impatiently, "drive on! that is quite enough!"

'The next moment the chaise was out of sight, and I leaned against the
balustrade of the bridge, with a sick feeling at my heart I never felt
before. Vaughan came by at the moment with his tandem, so I made
him turn about and set me down; and here I am, my boy, now that my
qualmishness has passed off, ready to eat you out of house and home, if
the means would only present themselves.'

Here ended O'Gradys narrative, and as breakfast very shortly after
made its appearance, our conversation dropped into broken, disjointed
sentences; the burden of which, on his part, was that, although no
man would deserve more gratitude from the household and the garrison
generally than myself for being the means of exporting Lord De Vere, yet
that under every view of the case all effort should be made to prevent
publicity, and stop the current of scandal such an event was calculated
to give rise to in the city.

'No fear of that, I hope,' said I.

'Every fear, my dear boy. We live in a village here: every man hears his
friend's watch tick, and every lady knows what her neighbour paid for
her paste diamonds. However, be comforted! your rep