me what a complaint he 'd lodge against me as soon as
he arrived in England."

"No, no; he 's not the fellow to do that."

"If he did, sir, _it_ would crush him! The Emperor of Russia could not
prefer a complaint against Skeff Darner, and feel the better of it!"

"He 's a true-hearted, fine fellow," said Tony.

"With all my heart I concede to him all the rough virtues you may desire
to endow him with; but please to bear in mind, Master Tony, that a man
of your station and your fortune cannot afford such intimacies as your
friend Rory here and this M'Gruder creature."

"Then I was a richer man when I had nothing, for I _could_ afford it
then," said Tony, sturdily; "and I tell you more, Skeffy,--I mean to
afford it still. There is no fellow living I love better--no, nor as
well--as I love yourself; but even for your love I'll not give up the
fine-hearted fellows who were true to me in my days of hardship,
shared with me what they had, and gave me--what was better to me--their
loving-kindness and sympathy."

"You'd bring down the house if you said that in the Adelphi, Tony."

"It 's well for you that I can't get out of bed," said Tony, with a grim
laugh.

"There it is again; another appeal to the brute man and the man brute!
Well, I 'll go to dinner, and I 'll tell the fair Sister to prepare your
barley-water, and administer it in a more diluted form than heretofore;"
and, adjusting his hat so as to display a favorite lock to the best
advantage, and drawing on his gloves in leisurely fashion, Skeff
Darner walked proudly away, bestowing little benevolent gestures on the
patients as he passed, and intimating by certain little signs that he
had taken an interest in their several cases, and saying, by a sweet
smile, "You 'll be the better of this visit of mine. You 'll see, you
will."

CHAPTER LVIII. THE SIXTH OF SEPTEMBER

On the evening of the 6th of September a corvette steamed rapidly out of
the Bay of Naples, threading her way deviously through the other ships
of war, unacknowledged by salute,--not even an ensign dipped as she
passed.

"There goes the King and the monarchy," said Skeff, as he stood on the
balcony with the Lyles, and pointed to the fast-retreating vessel.

"I suppose the sooner _we_ leave the better," said Lady Lyle, whose
interest in political affairs was very inferior to that she felt on
personal matters.

"Skeff says that the 'Talisman' will take us on board," said Sir Arthur.

"Y