aster, and Fernando was an apt pupil. Somehow, there
was a spice of adventure in the escapade, which seemed to thrill
Fernando with pleasure, and he entered into it with a zeal that was
remarkable.

The English man-of-war in the harbor was the _Xenophon_, Captain
Conkerall commander. The captain had some acquaintances and friends in
Baltimore, and this event transpired before the war spirit became so
strong that English officers dared not venture on shore. The captain and
his officers were of course invited to the ball.

The day of the ball, the captain came ashore and was snugly quartered at
the Baltimore House, getting ready for the affair.

The captain was in his room talking with some citizens of Baltimore and
a congressman; a decanter and glasses were on a sideboard, and the
captain's face was somewhat flushed, when there entered a neat,
well-dressed young gentleman, whose language and features were slightly
Hibernian.

"I beg pardon, gintlemen, but this is Captain Conkerall? Sure I make no
mistake, for the very bearin' tells me he is a son of Neptune."

As the captain was in full uniform, of course there was no trouble about
recognizing him. The captain rose and, taking the hand of the young man,
tried hard to remember where he had seen him before.

"Sure, ye don't remember me. I am Lord Kildee, the son of the ould baron
of Kildee Castle, who was a schoolmate of yer father."

The captain, delighted at having so noted an acquaintance, took great
pleasure in introducing a scion of such a noble family as Kildee. One
would have thought, from Captain Conkerall's manner, that he had been on
intimate terms with the house of Kildee all his life, while in reality
he had never until that moment known that there lived such a being as
the Lord of Kildee. Wine and vanity work wonders, and the captain felt
great pride in being recognized at Baltimore by Lord Kildee, whose
father was, as the new acquaintance assured him, a member of the
house of lords.

The visiting aldermen of the town and the congressman were introduced to
the Lord Kildee, who had the air of a genuine nobleman, with just enough
of the rich brogue to entitle him to the name of Irishman.

Would his lordship have a glass of wine with them. To be sure he would.

Captain Conkerall, who was expected to be the lion of the evening,
indulged rather freely, and the more he indulged the more he had a
desire to.

At last the congressman rose to make a speech.