going there to-night," repeated Morlache, in some surprise.
"Are _you_ one of the privileged, then?"

"Of course he is," interposed D'Esmonde, authoritatively.

"Will you do me a very great favor, then, my Lord?" said Morlache,
----"which is to take charge of this small casket. I promised to take
it myself; but it is so late now, and I am so wearied, that I shall feel
much bound to you for the service."

"You can easily acquit the debt of obligation, Morlache," said
D'Esmonde; "for my Lord was just asking me, before you came in, if he
could take the liberty of begging the loan of your carriage to take him
up to the Moskova. You are aware that it would not be quite proper to
take a hired carriage, just now, up to the villa; that, as the Prince
affects to be absent----"

"To be sure," broke in Morlache. "I am but too happy to accommodate your
Lordship. Your precaution was both delicate and well thought of. Indeed,
I greatly doubt that they would admit a fiacre at all."

"I suppose I should have had to walk from the gate," said Norwood, who
now saw the gist of the Abbe's stratagem.

"Morlache's old gray is a passport that requires no _visa_," said
D'Esmonde. "You 'll meet neither let nor hindrance with him in front of
you. You may parody the great statesman's peroration, and say, 'Where
the King cannot enter, he can.' Such is it to be a banker's horse!"

Norwood heard little or nothing of this remark. Deeply sunk in his own
thoughts, he arose abruptly from the table.

"You are not going away, my Lord? You are surely not deserting that
flask of Marcobrunner that we have only tasted?"

But Norwood never heard the words, and continued to follow his own train
of reflection. Then, bending over D'Esmonde, he said, "In case we should
require to cross the frontier at Lavenza, must we have passports?"

"Nothing of the kind. There is no police, no inquiry whatever."

"Good-bye, then. If you should not hear _from_, you will hear _of_ me,
Abbe. There are a few things which, in the event of accident, I will
jot down in writing. You 'll look to them for me. Good-evening, or
good-morning,--I scarcely know which." And, with all the habitual
indolence of his lounging manner, he departed.

D'Esmonde stood for a few seconds silent, and then said, "Is the noble
Viscount deep in your books?"

"Deeper than I wish him to be," said the Jew.

"Have no fears on that account. He 'll soon acquit all his debts," said
the other. "Good-n