I even so minded, no efforts of mine could
save you from that notoriety which a few days more will
attach to you, never to leave you.

"I am, your obedient servant,

"Joseph Loyd."

Calvert tried to laugh as he finished the reading of this note, but the
attempt was a failure, and a sickly pallor spread over his face, and his
lips trembled. "Let me only meet you, I don't care in what presence, or
in what place," muttered he, "and you shall pay dearly for this. But now
to think of myself. This is just the sort of fellow to put his threat
into execution, the more since he will naturally be anxious to get me
away from this. What is to be done? With one week more I could almost
answer for my success. Ay, Mademoiselle Florry, you were deeper in the
toils than you suspected. The dread of me that once inspired a painful
feeling had grown into a sort of self-pride that elevated her in her own
esteem, She was so proud of her familiarity with a wild animal, and so
vain of her influence over him! So pleasant to say, 'See, savage as he
is, he'll not turn upon _me_!' And now to rise from the table, when
the game is all but won! Confound the fellow, how he has wrecked my
fortunes! As if I had not enough, too, on my hands without this!" And
he walked impatiently to and fro, like a caged animal in fretfulness. "I
wanted to think over Drayton's letter calmly and deliberately, and here
comes this order, this command, to be up and away--away from the only
spot in which I can say I enjoyed an hour's peace for years and years,
and from the two or three left to me, of all the world, who think it
no shame to bestow on me a word or a look of kindness. The fellow is
peremptory--he declares I must leave to-day." For some time he continued
to walk, muttering to himself, or moodily silent At last he cried out,
"Yes; I have it! I'll go up to Milan, and cash this bill of Drayton's.
When there I'll telegraph to Loyd, which will show I have left the
villa. That done, I'll return here, if it be but for a day; and who
knows what a day will bring forth?"

"Who has commands for Milan?" said he, gaily entering the drawing-room,
where Miss Grainger sat, holding a half-whispering conversation with
Emily.

"Milan! are you going to Milan?"

"Yes; only for a day. A friend has charged me with a commission that
does not admit of delay, and I mean to run up this afternoon and be down
by dinnertime to-morrow."

"I'll go and see if Flor