-minded, or something or other, on my part. She said 'it was so nice
of me;' and she wrote to my uncle to ask if he ever heard such a pretty
trait, and my uncle said he knew scores of spendthrifts would have
done much the same; whereupon the old lady of Tilney, regarding me as
ill-used by my relatives, declared she would do something for me; but
as her good intentions were double-barrelled, and she wanted to do
something also for Bella, she suggested that we might, as the Oberland
peasants say, 'put our eggs in the same basket.' A day was named,
too, in which we were all to have gone over to Lyle Abbey, and open
negotiations with Sir Arthur, when came this confounded despatch
ordering me off to Naples! At first I determined not to go,--to
resign,--to give up public life forever. 'What's Hecuba to him?' said I;
that is, 'What signifies it to me how Europe fares? Shall I not think
of Skeff Darner and his fortunes?' Bowling down dynasties and setting
up ninepin princes may amuse a man, but, after all, is it not to the
tranquil enjoyments of home he looks for happiness? I consulted Bella,
but she would not agree with me. Women, my dear Tony, are more ambitious
than men,--I had almost said, more worldly. She would not, she said,
have me leave a career wherein I had given such great promise. 'You
might be an ambassador one day,' said she. 'Must be!' interposed
I,--'must be!' My unfortunate admission decided the question, and I
started that night."

"I don't think I clearly understand you," said Tony, passing his hand
over his brow. "Am I to believe that you and Bella are engaged?"

"I know what's passing in your mind, old fellow; I read you like large
print. You won't, you can't, credit the fact that I would marry out of
the peerage. Say it frankly; out with it."

"Nothing of the kind; but I cannot believe that Bella--"

"Ay, but she did," said Skeffy, filling up his pause, while he smoothed
and caressed his very young moustaches. "Trust a woman to find out the
coming man! Trust a woman to detect the qualities that insure supremacy!
I was n't there quite three weeks in all, and see if she did not
discover me. What's this? Here comes an order for you, Tony," said he,
as he looked into the street and recognized one of the porters of the
Foreign Office. "This is the place, Trumins," cried he, opening the
window and calling to the man. "You 're looking for Mr. Butler, are n't
you?"

"Mr. Butler on duty, Friday, 21," was all