back soon?"

"Very soon," answered Claudius. "Good-morning, Barker."

"Good morning. I will call and see you before you sail. You have quite
taken my breath away with this news." Mr. Barker walked quickly away in
the direction of Elevated Road. He was evidently going down town.

"Strange," thought Claudius, "that Barker should take the news so
quietly. I think it ought to have astonished him more." Leaving the
organ-grinder, the dirty baby, and the horse-cars to their fate,
Claudius entered the hotel. He found the Duke over a late breakfast,
eating cantelopes voraciously. Cantelopes are American melons, small and
of sickly appearance, but of good vitality and unearthly freshness
within, a joy to the hot-stomached foreigner. Behold also, his Grace
eateth the cantelope and hath a cheerful countenance. Claudius sat down
at the table, looking rather gloomy.

"I want you to give me an introduction to the English Ambassador in
Petersburg. Lord Fitzdoggin, I believe he is."

"Good gracious!" exclaimed the peer; "what for?"

"I am going there," answered Claudius with his habitual calm, "and I
want to know somebody in power."

"Oh! are _you_ going?" asked the Duke, suddenly grasping the situation.
He afterwards took some credit to himself for having been so quick to
catch Claudius's meaning.

"Yes. I sail on Wednesday."

"Tell me all about it," said the Duke, who recovered his equanimity, and
plunged a knife into a fresh cantelope at the same moment.

"Very well. I saw your friend, Mr. Horace Bellingham, this morning, and
he told me all about the Countess's troubles. In fact, they are in the
newspapers by this time, but I had not read about them. He suggested
that some personal friend of the Countess had better proceed to
headquarters at once, and see about it; so I said I would go; and he
gave me some introductions. They are probably good ones; but he advised
me to come to you and get one for your ambassador."

"Anything Uncle Horace advises is right, you know," said his Grace,
speaking with his mouth full. "He knows no end of people everywhere," he
added pensively, when he had swallowed.

"Very well, I will go; but I am glad you approve."

"But what the deuce are you going to do about that fortune of yours?"
asked the other suddenly. "Don't you think we had better go down and
swear to you at once? I may not be here when you get back, you know."

"No; that would not suit my arrangements," answered Claudius. "I