ongs to
thank you."

So saying, he hurried me along; and before I could well remember where I
was, introduced me to a number of persons in the saloon.

"Ah, very happy to know you, sir," said Lord Clancarty. "Perhaps we had
better walk this way. My friend Dashwood has explained to me the very
pressing reasons there are for this step; and I, for my part, see no
objection."

"What, in Heaven's name, can he mean?" thought I, as he stopped short,
expecting me to say something, while, in utter confusion, I smiled,
simpered, and muttered some common-places.

"Love and war, sir," resumed the ambassador, "very admirable associates,
and you certainly have contrived to couple them most closely together. A
long attachment, I believe?"

"Yes, sir, a very long attachment," stammered I, not knowing which of us
was about to become insane.

"A very charming person, indeed; I have seen the lady," replied his
lordship, as he opened the door of a small room, and beckoned me to follow.
The table was covered with paper and materials for writing; but before
I had time to ask for any explanation of this unaccountable mystery, he
added, "Oh, I was forgetting; this must be witnessed. Wait one moment."

With these words he left the room, while I, amazed and thunderstruck,
vacillating between fear and hope, trembling lest the delusive glimmering
of happiness should give way at every moment, and yet totally unable to
explain by any possible supposition how fortune could so far have favored
me.

While yet I stood hesitating and uncertain, the door opened, and the
senhora entered. She looked a little pale though not less beautiful than
ever; and her features wore a slight trace of seriousness, which rather
heightened than took from the character of her loveliness.

"I heard you had come, Chevalier," said she, "and so I ran down to shake
hands with you. We may not meet again for some time."

"How so, Senhora? You are not going to leave us, I trust?"

"Then you have not seen Fred. Oh, I forgot; you know nothing of our plans."

"Here we are at last," said the ambassador, as he came in followed by Sir
George, Power, and two other officers. "Ah, _ma belle_, how fortunate to
find you here! I assure you, it is a matter of no small difficulty to get
people together at such a time as this."

"Charley, my dear friend," cried Power, "I scarcely hoped to have had a
shake hands with you ere I left."

"Do, Fred, tell me what all this means? I am