eard of that scheme before. Is it
likely to be carried into effect, Mademoiselle?"

"I hardly know. As yet it is little more than a distant dream."

"But you have not yet answered my question, Mademoiselle de Chatenoeuf,"
said the Colonel. "You have not yet told me when you will come and see
Adele."

"Oh! pardon me, Colonel. I return to town to-morrow, and I will not
lose a moment. Suppose I say at one o'clock to-morrow, or two will be
better. Caroline, the Judge was so good as to say that he would let his
carriage take me home; I dare say it can drop me at Thomas's, can it
not?"

"Certainly, _not_, Valerie! There, don't stare now, or look indignant
or surprised. It served you perfectly right; what did you expect me to
say? Or why do you ask such silly questions? Of course, it can take
you wherever you please, precisely as if it were your own."

"Then at two o'clock, I will be at Thomas's to-morrow, Colonel; in the
meantime, pray give Adele my best love."

"I will, indeed. And now I will intrude upon you no longer, ladies," he
added, raising his hat. "In fact, I owe you many apologies for the
liberty I have taken in introducing myself. I hope you will believe I
would not have done so under any other circumstances."

We bowed, and, without any further remarks, he put spurs to his horse
and cantered away.

"A very gentlemanly person," said Caroline, "I think Adele has done very
well for herself."

"You had better not let Mr Charles Selwyn hear you say so, under all
circumstances, or I think that very likely the whipping we were talking
about in fun yesterday, will become real _cara mia_!"

"Nonsense! for shame, you mischievous thing!" said Caroline, blushing a
little, but not painfully.

"Who is this Colonel Jervis?" asked the Count de Chavannes. "I was a
little puzzled, or rather _not_ a little: for at first none of you
seemed to know him; and, after a little while, you all appeared to know
him quite well. Pray explain the mystery."

"He is a very gentlemanly person, Count, as Mrs Selwyn justly observes,
and, as you can perceive, a very handsome man. Further than that, he
was Colonel of one of his Majesty's _crack_ regiments, as they call
them, and is now on half-pay. He is, moreover, a man of high fashion,
and of the first standing in society. And, last of all, which is the
secret of the whole, he is the husband of a very charming little
Frenchwoman, a particular friend of Caroline's and