tler sat down, disappointed and sad. It was a reminiscence of
long ago, that formally shaped document, with its big seal, reminding
her of days when the Colonel--her Colonel--used to receive despatches
from the War Office,--grave documents of which he seldom spoke, but
whose importance she could read in the thoughtful lines of his face, and
which always impressed her with his consequence. "Ah, dear!" sighed she,
drearily, "who would have thought it?"

So is it very often in this same world of ours, that the outsides of
things are only solemn cheats. The orderly, who terrifies the village as
he dashes past at speed, is but the bearer of an invitation to dine.
The ambassador's bag is filled not with protocols and treaties, but
with fish-sauce or pickled walnuts; the little sack--marked "most
important"--being choke-full of Russian cigarettes. Even lawn and
lawyers' wigs are occasionally the external coverings to qualities that
fall short of absolute wisdom; so that though Mrs. Butler exclaimed,
"Who would have thought it?" one more conversant with life would have
felt less surprise and less disappointment.

A laugh from Tony--almost a hearty laugh--startled her from her musings.
"What is it, Tony dear?" asked she,--"what is it that amuses you?"

"I'll read it all for you, mother. It's from Skeffy, and you 'd think
you heard him talking, it's so like him.

"'F. O., Sunday morning.

"'Dear Butler,--What a fright you have given us all, old fellow, to have
levanted so suddenly, leaving your traps with the waiter, as we first
thought, but, as we afterwards discovered, exchanging them with one Rory
Quin, who, apparently sorry for his bargain, came for three successive
mornings to the hotel to find out your present whereabouts.'

"Do you understand him, mother?" asked Tony at this.

"Partly,--go on."

He resumed: "'Rory, however, would seem to have a private scrape of his
own to occupy him now, for I found to-day that a policeman was waiting
all the morning to arrest him, of which he seems to have had timely
notice, for he did not appear, and "R. 960" says, with much solemnity,
"he won't come no more."'"

"What does that mean, Tony?"

"I can make nothing of it. I hope and trust that I am not the cause of
the poor fellow's troubles. I 'll write about this at once. 'More of all
this, however, when we meet, which, I rejoice to say, will be soon.
I have got fourteen days' leave, and am going over to your immediate
neighb