"C."
O'Donahue pressed the paper to his lips, and then sat down to reply. We
shall not trouble the reader with what he said; it is quite sufficient
that the lady was content with the communication, and also at the report
from her little messenger of the Captain's behaviour when he had read
her billet.

Two or three days afterwards, O'Donahue received a note from a German
widow lady, a Countess Erhausen, particularly requesting he would call
upon her in the afternoon, at three o'clock. As he had not as yet had
the pleasure of being introduced to the countess, although he had often
heard her spoken of in the first society, O'Donahue did not fail in his
appointment, as he considered that it was possible that the Princess
Czartorinski might be connected with it; nor was he deceived, for on his
entering the saloon, he found the princess sitting on the sofa with
Madame Erhausen, a young and pretty woman, not more than twenty-five
years of age. The princess rose, and greeted Captain O'Donahue, and
then introduced the countess as her first cousin. A few minutes after
his introduction, the countess retired, leaving them alone. O'Donahue
did not lose this opportunity of pouring out the real feelings of his
heart.

"You have come a long way to see me, Captain O'Donahue, and I ought to
be grateful," replied the princess: "indeed, I have much pleasure in
renewing our acquaintance."

O'Donahue, however, did not appear satisfied with this mere admission:
he became eloquent in his own cause, pointed out the cruelty of having
brought him over to see her again if he was not to be rewarded, and
after about an hour's pleading he was sitting on the sofa by her side,
with her fair hand in his, and his arm round her slender waist. They
parted, but through the instrumentality of the little dwarf, they often
met again at the same rendezvous. Occasionally they met in society, but
before others they were obliged to appear constrained and formal; there
was little pleasure in such meetings, and when O'Donahue could not see
the princess his chief pleasure was to call upon Madame Erhausen and
talk about her.

"You are aware, Captain O'Donahue," said the countess one day, "that
there will be a great difficulty to overcome in this affair. The
princess is a sort of ward of the emperor's, and it is said that he has
already, in his own mind, disposed of her hand."

"I am aware of that,"