the
telegraph-office at eight, that the clerks may go to a ball."

"Not to a ball, Madam, to the fair at Lahnech," interposed Franz.

"I don't care, Sir, whether it be a dance or a junketing. It is the same
inconvenience to the public; and the landlord, and the secretary, as you
call him, of this hotel, are all gone, and nothing left here but you."

Whether it was the shameless effrontery of the contempt she evinced in
these words, or the lamentable look of abasement of the waiter, that
overcame Calvert, certain is it he made no effort to restrain himself,
but, leaning back in his chair, laughed heartily and openly.

"Well, Sir," said she, turning fiercely on him, "you force me to say,
that I never witnessed a more gross display of ill breeding and bad
manners."

"Had you only added, Madam, 'after a very long experience of life,' the
remark would have been perfect," said he, still laughing.

"Oh, Calvert!" broke in Loyd, in a tone of deprecation; but the old
lady, white with passion, retired without waiting for that apology
which, certainly, there was little prospect of her receiving.

"I am sorry you should have said that," said Loyd, "or though she was
scarcely measured in her remark, our laughter was a gross provocation."

"How the cant of your profession sticks to you!" said the other. "There
was the lawyer in every word of that speech. There was the 'case' and
the 'set off.'"

Loyd could not help smiling, though scarcely pleased at this rejoinder.

"Take my word for it," said Calvert, as he helped himself to the dish
before him, "there is nothing in life so aggressive as one of our
elderly countrywomen when travelling in an independent condition. The
theory is attack--attack--attack! They have a sort of vague impression
that the passive are always imposed on, and certainly they rarely place
themselves in that category. As I live, here she comes once more."

The old lady had now entered the room with a slip of paper in her hand,
to which she called the waiter's attention, saying,

"You will despatch this message to Mayence, when the office opens in the
morning. See that there is no mistake about it."

"It must be in German, Madam," said Franz. "They'll not take it in in
any foreign language."

"Tell her you'll translate it, Loyd. Go in, man, and get your knock-down
as I did," whispered Calvert.

Loyd blushed slightly; but not heeding the sarcasm of his companion,
he arose, and, approaching the stran