but they demanded half a guinea--"

"What of Driscoll? Have you traced him?" asked Dunn, impatient at the
minuteness of this detail.

"He left London for Havre on the 12th of last month, sir, with a
passport for Italy. He carried one of Hart-well's circulars for three
hundred pounds, and was to have taken a courier at Paris, but did not."

"And where is he now?" asked Dunn, abruptly.

"I am unable to say, sir," said Hankes, almost abjectly, for he felt
self-rebuked in the acknowledgment. "My last tidings of him came from
Como,--a new Hydropathic Institution there."

"Expecting to find the Viscount Lackington," said Dunn, with a sardonic
laugh. "Death was before you, Master Driscoll; you did not arrive in
time for even the funeral. I say, Hankes," added he, quickly, "what of
the new Viscount? Has he answered our letters?"

"Not directly, sir; but there came a short note signed 'C. Christopher,'
stating that his Lordship had been very ill, and was detained at Ems,
and desiring to have a bank post-bill for two hundred forwarded to him
by return."

"You sent it?"

"Of course, sir; the letter had some details which proved it to be
authentic."

"And the sum a trifle," broke in Dunn. "She is scarcely at Malta by
this, Hankes. What am I thinking of? She 'll not reach it before next
Friday or Saturday. Do you remember young Kellett's regiment?"

"No, sir."

"Well, find it out. I'll write to the Horse Guards tomorrow to have him
promoted,--to give him an Ensigncy in some regiment serving in India.
Whom do you know at Malta, Hankes?"

"I know several, sir; Edmond Grant, in the Storekeeper's Department;
James Hocksley, Second Harbor-Master; Paul Wesley, in the
Under-Secretary's Office."

"Any of them will do. Telegraph to detain her; that her brother is
coming home; she must not go to the Crimea." There was a stern fixity of
purpose declared in the way these last words were spoken, which at the
same time warned Hankes from asking any explanation of them. "And now
for business. What news from Arigua,--any ore?"

"Plenty, sir; the new shaft has turned out admirably. It is yielding
upwards of twenty-eight per cent, and Holmes offers thirty pounds a ton
for the raw cobalt."

"I don't care for that, sir. I asked how were shares," said Dunn,
peevishly.

"Not so well as might be expected, sir. The shake at Glengariff was felt
widely."

"What do you mean? The shares fell, but they rose again; they suffered
one of t