and yet scarce a day crept by
without some thought of the far-away land of my birth,--some memory of
its hills and valleys, of its green banks and changeful skies: and in
my dreams, some long-forgotten air would bring me back in memory to the
cottier's fireside, where around the red blazing turf were seated the
poor but happy peasantry, beguiling the time with song or story,--now
telling of the ancient greatness of their country, now breathing a hope
of its one day prosperity.

"Captain Burke's quarters?" said a voice without. At the same instant,
the jingling of spurs and the clank of a sabre bespoke the questioner as
a soldier. My door opened, and an officer in the full dress of the staff
entered. As I requested him to be seated, I already anticipated
the object of his visit, which he seemed determined to open in most
diplomatic fashion; for, the first salutations over, he began coolly to
ransack his sabretasche, and search among a heap of papers which crowded
it.

"Ah! here it is," said he at length. "I ask your pardon for all this
delay. But, of course, you guess the reason of my being here?"

"I must confess I suspect it," said I, with a smile.

"Oh, that I am certain of. These things never are secrets very long;
nor, for my part, do I think there is any need they should be. I
conclude you are quite prepared?"

"You shall find me so."

"So the minister said," replied he; while, once more, his eyes were
buried in the recesses of the sabretasche, leaving me in the most
intense astonishment at the last few words. That the minister, whoever
he might be, should know of, and, as it seemed, acquiesce in my fighting
a duel, was a puzzle I could make nothing of.

"Here is the note I looked for," said he as he took forth a small slip
of paper, written on both sides. "May I beg you will take down the
details; they are brief, but important."

"You may trust my memory with them," said I, rather surprised at the
circumstantial style of his conduct.

"As you please; so pay attention for one moment, while I read: 'Captain
Burke of the Eighth, will proceed by extra post to Mayence, visiting
the following garrisons _en route_'(here come the names, which you can
copy), where his attention will be specially directed to the points
marked A. B. and--'"

"Forgive my interrupting you; but really I am unaware of what you are
alluding to. You are not here on the part of the Chevalier Duchesne?"

"The Chevalier Duchesne? Duche