on,
and that the third cover was meant for him.

"I say, landlord," said I, "you don't intend to tell me that you have no
private sitting-room, but that ladies of condition must needs come
down and sup here with"--I was going to say, "Heaven knows who;" but I
halted, and said--"with the general company."

"That, or nothing!" was the sturdy response. "The guests in this house
eat here, or don't eat at all; eh, Herr Graf?"

"Well, so far as my experience goes, I can corroborate you," said the
stranger, laughing; "though, you may remember, I have often counselled
you to make some change."

"That you have; but I don't want to be better than my father and my
grandfather; and the Archduke Charles stopped here in _their_ time, and
never quarrelled with his treatment."

I told the landlord to apprise the young lady whenever supper was ready,
and I walked to a distant part of the room and sat down.

In about two minutes after, Miss Herbert appeared, and the supper was
served at once. I had not met her since the incident of the bracelet,
and I was shocked to see how cold she was in her manner, and how
resolute in repelling the most harmless familiarity towards her.

I wanted to explain to her that it was through no fault of mine we were
to have the company of that odious stranger, that it was one of the
disagreeables of these wayside hostels, and to be borne with patience,
and that though he was a stage-player, or a sergeant of dragoons, he was
reasonably well-bred and quiet I did contrive to mumble out some of this
explanation; but, instead of attending to it, I saw her eyes following
the stranger, who had just draped a large riding-cloak over a
clothes-horse behind her chair, to serve as a screen. Thanks are all
very well, but I 'm by no means certain that gratitude requires such a
sweet glance as that, not to mention that I saw the expression in her
eyes for the first time.

I thought the soup would choke me. I almost hoped it might. Othello was
a mild case of jealousy compared to me, and I felt that strangling would
not half glut my vengeance. And how they talked!--he complimenting
her on her accent, and she telling him how her first governess was
a Hanoverian from Celle, where they are all such purists. There was
nothing they did not discuss in those detestable gutturals, and as
glibly as if it bad been a language meet for human lips. I could not
eat a mouthful, but I drank and watched them. The fellow was not long