was growing dark, when there
was scarcely time to dress for dinner, the latter again sending in an
apology for detaining my brother so long, and retiring without getting
off his horse.

This gave me, I confess, more pleasure than it would have done to see
him, though that would have given me pleasure, too; for I saw in it a
proof of something more than mere tact, of mental delicacy, I mean; and
an anxiety not to obtrude either upon the hospitality of the Selwyns, or
upon my feelings.

Auguste, on his return, was in amazing spirits, and did nothing all
dinner-time, but expatiate upon the companionable and amiable qualities
of de Chavannes, whom he already liked, he said, more than any person he
had ever seen for so short a time--so clever, so high-spirited, so
gallant. Everything, in a word, that a man could desire for a friend,
or a lady for a lover.

"Heyday!" said the Judge, laughing at this tirade. "This fine Count
with his black moustaches seems to have made one conquest mighty
quickly. I hope it will not run in the company, or we shall have more
elopements,"--with a sly glance at Caroline. "Mademoiselle Valerie
here," he continued, "is a terrible person for promoting elopements,
too. But we must have none from my house."

We continued to be very gay all dinner-time. After dinner we had some
music, and the Judge was just pressing me to sing, when Lionel's servant
came into the room, having hurried down from London, in pursuit of his
master, in consequence of the sudden arrival of a large package of
letters from Paris, endorsed "immediate, and to be delivered with all
speed."

This incident broke up the party for the moment; and indeed threw a
chill over us all for the whole evening, when it appeared that the
principal letter was one to my brother from the Commandant of Paris, of
which city his regiment formed a part of the garrison, reluctantly
revoking his leave of absence, in consequence of some expected _emeute_,
and intimating that his presence would be expected at head-quarters on
or before the third day of June; an order which it was, of course,
impossible to think of neglecting or disobeying, while it would leave
him at the furthest but a single week to give to us in London.

It was a bitter disappointment to be separated after so brief a
communion, but we consoled ourselves by the recollection that the
Straits of Dover are not the Pacific Ocean, and that Paris and London
are not a thousand leag