commanded appearance of Ernest Breslaw.
Instead of himself he sent as messenger a well-spoken lad, who
presented Mr Ernest's compliments, and hoped that I was not feeling
any ill effects from my unusual exertion during the previous evening.

I sent a request, per return, that he should call upon me during the
afternoon, but he did not regard it. The next being Dawn's day for
Sydney, I waited for this event to hatch some progress in the case,
but upon her return she had no favours to share with me or merry tale
to tell of being taken to afternoon tea by Ernest.

Eweword figured in this account, and so prominently as to suggest that
her talk of the fun she had had with him was a little forced, so on
the following morning I took it upon myself to call upon the backward
knight in his own castle. Unmooring one of the boats, I rowed with
great caution obliquely across the stream till, reaching the desired
pier, I tethered my craft and ascended among an orange-grove laden
with its golden fruit, and between the rattling canes of the vineyard
dismantled by winter, till I reached the house where at present my
young friend sojourned, and I was thankful that bleached as well as
unfaded locks having their own peculiar privileges, I was able to make
this call with propriety.

The young gentleman was in, and without delay appeared to the
beautiful lady's self-directed and appointed ambassadress.

"I suppose I may pay you a visit," I said with a smile as he seated me
in the drawing-room which we had to ourselves. "As you didn't seem to
care whether I were dead or alive I have come over to practically
illustrate that I'm still above ground. Why did you not come to see
me?"

Ernest reddened and fidgeted, and said haltingly--

"You know if you had been ill I would have been the first to go to
you, but I knew you were quite well, and I've been so busy," he
finished lamely.

"Now, you know that I know that you have been idle--quite unendurably
idle," I retorted, a remark he received in embarrassed silence, which
endured till I broke it with--

"Well, I suppose you are waiting for me to divulge the real object of
my pilgrimage, and that is to know why you haven't kept your agreement
about making that little mistake as easy as you could for Miss Dawn.
She's fretting herself pale about it."

Ernest stood up, his colour flaming into his tanned cheeks till they
were as bright as his locks, while he made as though to speak once or
tw