Seemed ignorance to them."

As I uttered the consolatory lines, I felt two hands firmly pressed over
my eyes, while a friendly voice called out, "Found out, old fellow! run
fairly to earth!" "Ask him if he knows you," whispered another, but in a
voice I could catch.

"Who am I, Jack?" cried the first speaker.

"Situated as I now am," I replied, "I am unable to pronounce; but of one
thing I am assured,--I am certain I am not called Jack."

The slow and measured intonation of my voice seemed to electrify them,
for my captor relinquished his hold and fell back, while the two others,
after a few seconds of blank surprise, burst into a roar of laughter; a
sentiment which the other could not refrain from, while he struggled to
mutter some words of apology.

"Perhaps I can explain your mistake," I said blandly; "I am supposed to
be extremely like the Prince of Salms Hoekinshauven--"

"No, no!" burst in Lord Keldrum, whose voice I recognized, "we never saw
the Prince. The blunder of the waiter led us into this embarrassment; we
fancied you were--"

"Mr. Burgoyne," I chimed in.

"Exactly,--Jack Burgoyne; but you're not a bit like him."

"Strange, then; but I'm constantly mistaken for him; and when in London,
I 'm actually persecuted by people calling out, 'When did you come up,
Jack?' 'Where do you hang out?' 'How long do you stay?' 'Dine with
me to-day--to-morrow--Saturday?' and so on; and although, as I have
remarked, these are only so many embarrassments for me, they all show
how popular must be my prototype." I had purposely made this speech of
mine a little long, for I saw by the disconcerted looks of the party
that they did not see how to wind up "the situation," and, like all
awkward men, I grew garrulous where I ought to have been silent. While
I rambled on, Lord Keldrum exchanged a word or two with one of his
friends; and as I finished, he turned towards me, and, with an air of
much courtesy, said,--

"We owe you every apology for this intrusion, and hope you will pardon
it; there is, however, but one way in which we can certainly feel
assured that we have your forgiveness,--that is, by your joining us. I
see that your dinner is in preparation, so pray let me countermand it,
and say that you are our guest."

"Lord Keldrum," said one of the party, presenting the speaker; "my name
is Hammond, and this is Captain Oxley, Coldstream Guards."

I saw that this move required an exchange of ratifications, a