word for
duenna; and I half think I am scandalizing her very much by this conduct
of mine, sitting down on the grass with a brigand chief, and, I was
going to say, sharing his breakfast, though I have to confess it never
occurred to him to offer it. Come, Tony, get up, and let me present
you to her, and relieve her mind of the terrible thoughts that must be
distressing her."

"One moment, Alice,--one moment," said he, taking her hand. "What is
this story my mother tells me?" He stopped, unable to go on; but she
quickly broke in, "Scandal travels quickly, indeed; but I scarcely
thought your mother was one to aid its journey."

"She never believed it," said he, doggedly.

"Why repeat it, then? Why give bad money currency? I think we had better
join my friend. I see she is impatient."

The coldness with which she spoke chilled him like a wintry blast; but
he rallied soon, and with a vigorous energy said, "My mother no more
believed ill of you than I did; and when I asked you what the slander
meant, it was to know where I could find the man to pay for it."

"You must deny yourself the pleasure this time, Tony," said she,
laughing. "It was a woman's story,--a disappointed woman,--and so, not
so very blamable as she might be; not but that it was true in fact."

"True, Alice,--true?"

"Yes, sir. The inference from it was the only falsehood; but, really, we
have had too much of this. Tell me of yourself,--why are you here? Where
are you now going?"

"You 've heard of my exploits as a messenger, I suppose," said Tony,
with a bitter laugh.

"I heard, as we all heard with great sorrow, that you left the service,"
said she, with a hesitation on each word.

"Left it? Yes; I left to avoid being kicked out of it I lost my
despatches, and behaved like a fool. Then I tried to turn sailor, but
no skipper would take me; and I _did_ turn clerk, and half ruined the
honest fellow that trusted me. And now I am going--in good truth, Alice,
I don't exactly know where, but it is somewhere in search of a pursuit
to fit a fellow who begins to feel he is fit for nothing."

"It is not thus your friends think of you, Tony," said she, kindly.

"That's the worst of it," rejoined he, bitterly; "I have all my life
been trying to justify an opinion that never should have been formed of
me,--ay, and that I well knew I had no right to."

"Well, Tony, come back with us. I don't say with me, because I must be
triple discreet for some time to c