some one had been hoaxing her with the name, and never
believed that there was even a place with such a designation.'

'Kilgobbin does not sound like a lordly title. How about Mademoiselle--what
is the name?'

'Kostalergi; they call themselves princes.'

'With all my heart. I was only going to say, as you've got a sort of knack
of entanglement--is there, or has there been, anything of that sort here?'

'Flirtation--a little of what is called "spooning"--but no more. But why do
you ask?'

'First of all, you are an engaged man.'

'All true, and I mean to keep my engagement. I can't marry, however, till I
get a mission, or something at home as good as a mission. Lady Maude
knows that; her friends know it, but none of us imagine that we are to be
miserable in the meantime.'

'I'm not talking of misery. I'd only say, don't get yourself into any mess.
These foreign girls are very wide-awake.'

'Don't believe that, Harry; one of our home-bred damsels would give them
a distance and beat them in the race for a husband. It's only in England
girls are trained to angle for marriage, take my word for it.'

'Be it so--I only warn you that if you get into any scrape I'll accept none
of the consequences. Lord Danesbury is ready enough to say that, because I
am some ten years older than you, I should have kept you out of mischief. I
never contracted for such a bear-leadership; though I certainly told Lady
Maude I'd turn Queen's evidence against you if you became a traitor.'

'I wonder you never told me that before,' said Walpole, with some
irritation of manner.

'I only wonder that I told it now!' replied the other gruffly.

'Then I am to take it, that in your office of guardian, you'd rather we'd
decline this invitation, eh?'

'I don't care a rush for it either way, but, looking to the sort of day it
is out there, I incline to keep the house.'

'I don't mind bad weather, and I'll go,' said Walpole, in a way that showed
temper was involved in the resolution.

Lockwood made no other reply than heaping a quantity of turf on the fire,
and seating himself beside it.

When a man tells his fellow-traveller that he means to go his own
road--that companionship has no tie upon him--he virtually declares the
partnership dissolved; and while Lockwood sat reflecting over this, he
was also canvassing with himself how far he might have been to blame in
provoking this hasty resolution.

'Perhaps he was irritated at my counsels, pe