nce of the ex-Consul's wig, while, by a slight adjustment of
his waistcoat, he imitated the pretentious presence of the mock royalty.
"'You mean Bob, madam,'" said he, mimicking his measured intonation and
pompous tone, "'Old Fogey, as Mathews always called me. Mathews and
I and Townsend were always together, dined at Greenwich every Sunday
regularly. What nights they were! Flows of reason, and feasts of eh?
yes, that's what they were.'"

"I must remind you that I never saw him," said she, laughing; "though
I'm certain, if I should hereafter, it will not be very hard to
recognize him. Now, who is he?"

"He himself says, a grandson of George the Fourth. Less interested
biographers call him a son of Foglass and Crattles, who, I believe, were
not even coachmakers to royalty. He was a consul at Ezmeroum, or some
such place. At least, they showed him the name on a map, and bade him
find it out; but he found out something more, it seems, that there was
neither pay nor perquisites, neither passports nor peculation; and he
has brought back his wisdom once again to besiege the Foreign Office.
But how do you happen to ask about him?"

"Some of my friends met him in Germany," said she, hesitatingly. She
might have blushed, had Jekyl looked at her; but he knew better, and
took pains to bestow his glances in another direction.

"It would be kind to tell them that the man is a most prying,
inquisitive sort of creature, who, if he only had the sense of hearing,
would be as mischievous as Purvis."

"I fancy they will see but little of him," said she, with a saucy toss
of the head. "He made their acquaintance by affecting to know me. I 'm
sure I 've no recollection of having ever seen him."

"Of course you never knew him, Miss Dalton!" replied he, with a subdued
horror in his voice as he spoke.

"A letter for you, Mademoiselle," said the servant to Kate; "and the man
waits for an answer."

Kate broke the seal with some trepidation. She had no correspondents
nearer than her home, and wondered what this might mean. It was in a
strange commotion of spirit that she read the following lines:

"Mrs. Montague Ricketts presents her respectful compliments to Miss
Dalton, and begs to know at what hour to-day Mrs. M. R. may wait upon
Miss D., to present a letter which has been committed to Mrs. R.'s hands
for personal delivery. It may secure an earlier hour of audience if Mrs.
R. mentions that the precious document is from Miss D.'s fath