e talked, he moved at last towards a window, and, opening it, held
out his hand to feel if it were raining.

"I hope," cried he, "you'll not send me back with a refusal; her
Ladyship counts upon you as the chief ornament of her ball."

"We never do go to balls, sir," was the dry response.

"But make this occasion the exception. If you only knew how lamentably
we are off for pretty people, you 'd pity us. Such garrison wives and
daughters are unknown to the oldest inhabitant of the island. Surely
Mrs. Keats will be quite well by Wednesday, and she 'll not be so cruel
as to deny you to us for this once."

"I can but repeat my excuses,--I never go out."

"If you say so, I think I'll abandon all share in the enterprise. It was
a point of honor with me to persuade you; in fact, I pledged myself to
succeed, and if you really persist in a refusal, I 'II just pitch all
these notes in the fire, and go off yachting till the whole thing is
over." And with this he drew forth a mass of notes from his sabretache,
and proceeded to con over the addresses: "'Mrs. Hilyard,' 'Mr. Barnes,'
'Mr. Clintosh,' 'Lady Bladgen.' Oh, Lady Blagden! Why, it would be worth
while coming only to see her and Sir John; and here are the Crosbys too;
and what have we here! Oh! this is a note from Grey. You don't know my
brother Grey,--he 'd amuse you immensely. Just listen to this, by way of
a letter of introduction:--

"'Dear George,--Cherish the cove that will hand you this note as
the most sublime snob I have ever met in all my home and foreign
experiences. In a large garrison like yours, you can have no difficulty
in finding fellows to give him a field-day. I commit him, therefore, to
your worthy keeping, to dine him, draw him forth, and pitch him out of
the window when you've done with him. No harm if it is from the topmost
story of the highest barrack in Malta. His name is Potts,--seriously and
truthfully Potts. Birth, parentage, and belongings all unknown to

"'Yours ever,'

"'Grey Buller.'"

"You are unfortunate, sir, in confiding your correspondence to me," said
Kate, rising from her seat, "for that gentleman is a friend--a sincere
and valued friend--of my own, and you could scarcely have found a more
certain way to offend me than to speak of him slightingly."

"You can't mean that you know him--ever met him?"

"I know him and respect him, and I will not listen to one word to his
disparagement. Nay, more, sir, I will feel myself at libe