led another, and Tony remembered his mother's
note.

"By the way, sir, I have a letter here for you from my mother," said he,
producing it.

Sir Arthur put on his spectacles leisurely, and began to peruse it. It
seemed very brief, for in an instant he had returned it to his pocket.

"I conclude you know nothing of the contents of this?" said he, quietly.

"Nothing whatever."

"It is of no consequence. You may simply tell Mrs. Butler from me that I
will call on her by an early day; and now, won't you come and have a cup
of tea? Lady Lyle will expect to see you in the drawing-room."

Tony would have refused, if he knew how; even in his old days he had
been less on terms of intimacy with Lady Lyle than any others of the
family, and she had at times a sort of dignified stateliness in her
manner that checked him greatly.

"Here 's Tony Butler come to take a cup of tea with you, and say
good-bye," said Sir Arthur, as he led him into the drawing-room.

"Oh, indeed! I am too happy to see him," said she, laying down her book;
while, with a very chilly smile, she added, "and where is Mr. Butler
bound for this time?" And simple as the words were, she contrived to
impart to them a meaning as though she had said, "What new scheme or
project has he now? What wild-goose chase is he at present engaged in?"

Sir Arthur came quickly to the rescue, as he said, "He's going to take
up an appointment under the Crown; and, like a good and prudent lad, to
earn his bread, and do something towards his mother's comfort."

"I think you never take sugar," said she, smiling faintly; "and for a
while you made a convert of Alice."

Was there ever a more common-place remark? and yet it sent the blood to
poor Tony's face and temples, and overwhelmed him with confusion. "You
know that the girls are both away?"

"It's a capital thing they 've given him," said Sir Arthur, trying to
extract from his wife even the semblance of an interest in the young
fellow's career.

"What is it?" asked she.

"How do they call you? Are you a Queen's messenger, or a Queen's
courier, or a Foreign Office messenger?"

"I'm not quite sure. I believe we are messengers, but whose I don't
remember."

"They have the charge of all the despatches to the various embassies and
legations in every part of the world," said Sir Arthur, pompously.

"How addling it must be,--how confusing!"

"Why so? You don't imagine that they have to retain them, and report
them oral