hout his being able
to guess why. "I believe I may say, without much fear of contradiction,
that these Onslows were all humbugs! The old banker's wealth, my
lady's refinement, the guardsman's spirit, were all in the same
category,--downright humbugs!"

"How he hates us,--how he detests the aristocracy!" said Mrs. Ricketts,
in a whisper to the Pole.

"And de Dalton----what of her?----is she millionnaire?" asked
Petrolaffsky.

"The father a small shopkeeper in Baden, sir; children's toys,
nut-crackers, and paper-knives being the staple of his riches. Foglass
can tell you all about it. He wants to hear about those Daltons,"
screamed he into the deaf man's ear.

"Poor as Job--has n't sixpence--lives 'three-pair back,' and dines for
a 'zwanziger.' Lame daughter makes something by cutting heads for canes
and umbrellas. He picks up a trifle about the hotels."

"Ach Gott! and I was so near be in loaf wid de sister!" muttered the
Pole.

"She is likely to d-d-do better, Count," cackled in Purvis. "She caught
her Tartar----ha, ha, ha!"

"Midchekoff doesn't mean marriage, sir, depend upon it," said
Haggerstone.

"Martha, leave the room, my dear," said Mrs. Ricketts, bridling. "He
could no more relish a pleasure without a vice than he could dine
without caviare."

"But they are be-be-betrothed," cried Purvis. "I saw a letter with an
account of the ceremony. Midchekoff fitted up a beautiful chapel at his
villa, and there was a Greek priest came sp-epecial from M-M-M-Moscow--"

"I thought you were going to say from the moon, sir; and it would be
almost as plausible," croaked Haggerstone.

"I saw the letter. It was n't shown to me, but I saw it; and it was that
woman from Breslau gave her away."

"What! old Madame Heidendorf? She has assisted at a great many similar
ceremonies before, sir."

"It was the Emperor sent her on purpose," cried Purvis, very angry at
the disparagement of his history.

"In this unbelieving age, sir, I must say that your fresh innocence
is charming; but permit me to tell you that I know old Caroline
Meersburg,--she was sister of the fellow that stole the Archduke
Michael's dress-sword at the Court ball given for his birthday. I
have known her five-and-thirty years. You must have met her, madam, at
Lubetskoy's, when he was minister at Naples, the year after the battle
of Marengo."

"I was wearing trousers with frills to them, and hunting butterflies at
that time," said Mrs. Ricketts, with a