o means
destitute of bravery), and, secondly, revelling in the triumph of thus
obtaining a voluntary assignation with Madame d'Harville for the morrow;
and something assured him that this time she would be punctual. Rodolph
sought for Murphy.

"Do you see that fair young man," said he, "standing in the midst of
that group out there?"

"You mean the tall individual who seems so much amused with his own
thoughts, do you not? Yes, yes, I see him."

"Endeavour to get sufficiently near to him to be enabled to whisper, so
that he alone can catch the words, while you carefully avoid allowing
him to see the person who utters them, this sentence, 'You are late, my
angel!'"

The squire gazed at Rodolph with a perplexed air.

"My lord, do you seriously wish me to do this?"

"Seriously, my dear Murphy, I do; and should he hastily turn around when
you have spoken, assume that incomparable air of perfect nonchalance for
which you are so justly celebrated, so as to prevent his being able to
fix upon you as the person who has spoken."

"Depend upon my perfect obedience, my lord, although I am far from
having the slightest idea of your intention in assigning to me such a
task."

Before the conclusion of the waltz, the worthy Murphy had contrived to
place himself immediately behind M. Charles Robert, while Rodolph,
posted in a situation most advantageous for watching the effect of this
experiment, carefully observed Murphy's movements. In a minute, M.
Charles Robert turned suddenly around, as though struck with
astonishment and wonder. The immovable squire stirred not a feature; and
certainly Murphy's tall, portly figure, bald head, and grave, composed
countenance, appeared the least likely of any in the room to be those of
a man taking part in such a trick; and, indeed, it was evident, from the
continued gaze of the commandant in every other part of the space they
stood in, that M. Charles Robert was far from suspecting his
respectable, middle-aged neighbour of giving utterance to a phrase so
disagreeably recalling the _quid pro quo_ of which Madame Pipelet had
been alike the cause and the heroine. The waltz concluded, Murphy
rejoined Rodolph.

"Well, my lord," said he, "that smart young gentleman jumped as though
he had trodden on a hornet's nest. The words I uttered appeared to have
the effect of magic on him."

"They were so far magical, my dear Murphy, as they assisted me to
discover a circumstance I was most anxious t