Nelly, smiling through
her tears; and she again turned to the letter before her. As if fearful
to revive the unhappy discussion, she passed rapidly over Frank's
account of his friend's ecstasy; nor did she read aloud till she came to
the boy's narrative of his own fortunes.

"You ask me about Count Stephen, and the answer is a short
one. I have seen him only once. Our battalion, which was
stationed at Laybach, only arrived in Vienna about three
weeks ago, but feeling it a duty to wait on our relative, I
obtained leave one evening to go and pay my respects. Adolf,
who knew of my connection with the Field-Marshal, had lent
me two hundred florins; and this, too, I was anxious to pay
off,--another reason for this visit.

"Well, I dressed myself in my best cadet cloth, and silk
sword-knot,

Nelly,--none of your 'commissaire' toggery, but all fine and
smart-looking, as a gentleman-cadet ought to be,--and then
calling a fiacre, I ordered the man to drive to the
'Koertnor Thor,' to the Field-Marshal von Auersberg*s
quarters. I 'm not sure if I did n*t say to my uncle's. Away
we went gayly, and soon drew up in an old-fashioned
courtyard, from which a great stair led up four stories
high, at the top of which the 'Feld'--so they called him--
resided. This was somewhat of a come-down to my high-flown
expectations, but nothing to what I felt as the door was
opened by an old Jager with one leg, instead of, as I looked
for, a lackey in a grand livery.

"'What is 't cadet?' said he, in a tone of the coolest
familiarity.

"'The Field-Marshal von Auersberg lives here?' said I.

"He nodded.

"'I wish to see him.'

"He shook his head gravely, and scanning me from head to
foot, said, 'Not at this hour, cadet,----not at this hour.'

"'Let him see this card,' said I, giving one with my name.
'I 'm certain he 'll receive me.'

"I believe if I had presented a pistol at him, the old
fellow would have been less startled, as he exclaimed, 'A
cadet with a visiting-card! This would serve you little with
the Feld, younker,' cried he, handing it back to me; 'he
likes to see a soldier a soldier.'

"'Tell him my name, then,' said I, angrily; 'say that his
grand-nephew, Frank Dalton, has been standing at his door in
full parley with a servant fo