sly designated, with a special order
about the dish of whole truffles with butter, in the fair intention of
inviting Mr. Albert Jekyl to partake of them.

If a lady reveals some latent desire of conquest in the coquetry of her
costume and the more than ordinary care of her appearance, so your
male friend may be suspected of a design upon your confidence or your
liberality by the studious propriety of his petit diner. Never fall into
the vulgar error that such things are mere accident. As well ascribe
to chance the rotations of the seasons, or the motions of the heavenly
bodies. Your printaniere in January, your epigramme d'agneau with
asparagus at Christmas, show a solicitude to please to the full as
ardent, and not a whit less sincere, than the soft glances that have
just set your heart a-beating from the recesses of yonder opera-box.

"Will you eat your cutlet with me to-day, Mr. Jekyl?" said Haggerstone,
after a pause, in which he had weighed long and well all the pros and
cons of the invitation.

"Thanks, but I dine with the Onslows!" lisped out Jekyl, with a languid
indifference, that however did not prevent his remarking the almost
incredulous amazement in the colonel's face; "and I perceive," added he,
"that it 's time to dress."

Haggerstone looked after him as he left the room; and then ringing the
bell violently, gave orders to his servant to "pack up," for he would
leave Baden next morning.

CHAPTER XVII. A FAMILY DISCUSSION.

SOMETHING more than a week after the scenes we have just related had
occurred, the Daltons were seated round the fire, beside which, in the
place of honor, in an old armchair, propped by many a cushion, reclined
Hans Roeckle. A small lamp of three burners such as the peasants use
stood upon the table, of which only one was lighted, and threw its
fitful gleam over the board, covered by the materials of a most humble
meal. Even this was untasted; and it was easy to mark in the downcast
and depressed countenances of the group that some deep care was weighing
upon them.

Dalton himself, with folded arms, sat straight opposite the fire, his
heavy brows closely knit, and his eyes staring fixedly at the blaze,
as if expecting some revelation of the future from it; an open letter,
which seemed to have dropped from his hand, was lying at his feet.
Nelly, with bent-down head, was occupied in arranging the little
tools and implements she was accustomed to use in carving; but in the
tr