first time.

"He'll amuse you, I promise you," said Cutbill.

"I'd like to meet him," said Jack. "I had the ill-luck to bowl him over
in the hunting-field, and cost him a broken leg. I 'd like to make all
the excuses in my power to him."

"He bears no malice about it; he said it was all his own fault, and that
you did your best to pick him up, but your horse bolted with you."

"Let's have him to dinner by all means," said Augustus; "and now that
Temple has made a formal visit, I take it we might invite him by a
polite note."

"You must wait till he returns the call," said Marion, stiffly.

"Not if we want to show a courteous desire to make his acquaintance,"
said Temple. "Attentions can be measured as nicely and as minutely as
medicaments."

"All I say," said Jack, "is, have him soon, or I may chance to miss him;
and I 'm rather curious to have a look at him."

Colonel Bramleigh turned a full look at Jack, as though his words had
some hidden meaning in them; but the frank and easy expression of the
sailor's face reassured him at once.

"I hope the fellow won't put us in his book," said Temple. "You are
never quite safe with these sort of people."

"Are we worth recording?" asked Jack, with a laugh.

Temple was too indignant to make any answer, and Cutbill went on: "The
authorship is only a suspicion of mine, remember. It was from seeing
him constantly jotting down little odds and ends in his note-book that
I came to that conclusion; and Frenchmen are not much given to minute
inquiries if they have not some definite object in view."

Again was Bramleigh's attention arrested; but, as before, he saw that
the speaker meant no more than the words in their simplest acceptance
conveyed.

A violent ringing of the door-bell startled the company; and after a
moment's pause of expectancy a servant entered to say that a Government
messenger had arrived with some important despatches for Lord Culduff,
which required personal delivery and acceptance.

"Will you step up, Mr. Cutbill, and see if his Lordship is In his
room?"

"I'll answer for it he 's not," said Jack to his father.

Cutbill rose, however, and went on his mission; but instead of returning
to the dining-room, it was perceived that he proceeded to find the
messenger, and conduct him upstairs.

"Well, Nelly," said Marion, in a whisper, "what do you say now; is it so
certain that it was Lord Culduff you saw this morning?"

"I don't know what to make o