inform him that Lord Norwood
had just arrived in Florence from Ireland, where he had left Lady
Hester; that so far as he, Jekyl, could make out, the Viscount had made
an offer of marriage, and been accepted.

"It will be for you, my dear Abbe," added he, "to ascertain
this fact positively, as, independently of the long journey
at this inclement season, it would be a very serious injury
to me were it known that I advanced pretensions that were
not responded to. He who has never failed must not risk a
defeat. Pray lose no time in investigating this affair, for
Florence is filling fast, and my future plans will depend on
your reply."

The priest bestowed little attention on the small gossipry that filled
up the page. His eye, however, caught the name of Midchekoff, and he
read,----

"The Prince returned last Tuesday to the Moskova, but no one
has seen him, nor has any one been admitted within the
gates. Of course there are a hundred rumors as to the why
and the wherefore,----some alleging that he has received
orders of 'reclusion,' as they call it, from home, the
Emperor not being quite satisfied with his political
campaign; some, that he has taken up a grudge against the
court here, and shows his spleen in this fashion. But what
shallow reason would this be for a hermit life? and what
legitimate ground of complaint have not we, who, so to say,
possess a vested interest in his truffles and ortolans and
dry champagne? I assure you that such conduct rouses all the
democracy of my nature, and I write these lines with a red
silk cap on my head. After all, the real good he effected
was a kind of reflected light. He crushed little people, and
ground down all their puny efforts at balls, dinners, and
_dejeuners_. He shamed into modest insignificance such a
world of snobbery, and threw an air of ridicule over 'small
early partyism' and 'family dinners.' What a world of
dyspepsia has he thus averted,----what heartburns and
heartburnings! Oh, little people! little people! ye are a
very dreadful generation, for ye muddy the waters of
society, so that no man can drink thereof.

"Politically, we are calm and reactionary; and whether it be
thrashing has done it, I know not, but some of the Tuscans
are 'Black and Yellow' already. Not that the dear Austrians