ould scarcely go as far as that. It was a decline, a fading
away, sir; but he was certainly took bad the day before, had sent for
Mr. Romaine, and the major-domo had taken it on himself a little later
to send word to the Viscount. "It seemed to me, my lord," said he, "as
if this was a time when all the fambly should be called together."

I approved him with my lips, but not in my heart. Dawson was plainly in
the interests of my cousin.

"And when can I expect to see my great-uncle, the Count?" said I.

In the evening, I was told; in the meantime he would show me to my room,
which had been long prepared for me, and I should be expected to dine in
about an hour with the doctor, if my lordship had no objections.

My lordship had not the faintest.

"At the same time," I said, "I have had an accident: I have unhappily
lost my baggage, and am here in what I stand in. I don't know if the
doctor be a formalist, but it is quite impossible I should appear at
table as I ought."

He begged me to be under no anxiety. "We have been long expecting you,"
said he. "All is ready."

Such I found to be the truth. A great room had been prepared for me;
through the mullioned windows the last flicker of the winter sunset
interchanged with the reverberation of a royal fire; the bed was open, a
suit of evening clothes was airing before the blaze, and from the far
corner a boy came forward with deprecatory smiles. The dream in which I
had been moving seemed to have reached its pitch. I might have quitted
this house and room only the night before; it was my own place that I
had come to; and for the first time in my life I understood the force of
the words home and welcome.

"This will be all as you would want, sir?" said Mr. Dawson. "This 'ere
boy, Rowley, we place entirely at your disposition. E's not exactly a
trained vallet, but Mosha Powl, the Viscount's gentleman, 'ave give him
the benefick of a few lessons, and it is 'oped that he may give
sitisfection. Hanythink that you may require, if you will be so good as
to mention the same to Rowley, I will make it my business myself, sir,
to see you sitisfied."

So saying, the eminent and already detested Mr. Dawson took his
departure, and I was left alone with Rowley. A man who may be said to
have wakened to consciousness in the prison of the Abbaye, among those
ever graceful and ever tragic figures of the brave and fair, awaiting
the hour of the guillotine and denuded of every comfort, I