for you at my
entreaty. He is so kind as to admire my scribblings. . . Or you might
live among your fellow-convicts somewhere over sea for a while longer.
I had not thought that such would be your choice----" Here Ufford
shrugged, restrained by courtesy. "Besides, Lord Bute is greatly
angered with you, because you have endangered his Russian alliance.
However, if you wish it, I will try----"

"Oh, for that matter, I do not much fear Lord Bute, because I bring him
the most welcome news he has had in many a day. I may tell you since
it will be public to-morrow. The Tzaritza Elizabeth, our implacable
enemy, died very suddenly three weeks ago. Peter of Holstein-Gottrop
reigns to-day in Russia, and I have made terms with him. I came to
tell Lord Bute the Cossack troops have been recalled from Prussia. The
war is at an end." Young Calverley meditated and gave his customary
boyish smile. "Yes, I discharged my Russian mission after all--even
after I had formally relinquished it--because I was so opportunely
aided by the accident of the Tzaritza's death. And Bute cares only for
results. So I would explain to him that I resigned my mission simply
because in Russia my wife could not have lived out another year----"

The earl exclaimed, "Then Honoria is ill!" Mr. Calverley did not
attend, but stood looking out into the Venetian Chamber.

"See, Horace, she is dancing with Anchester while I wait here so near
to death. She dances well. But Honoria does everything adorably. I
cannot tell you--oh, not even you!--how happy these three years have
been with her. Eh, well! the gods are jealous of such happiness. You
will remember how her mother died? It appears that Honoria is
threatened with a slow consumption, and a death such as her mother's
was. She does not know. There was no need to frighten her. For
although the rigors of another Russian winter, as all physicians tell
me, would inevitably prove fatal to her, there is no reason why my
dearest dear should not continue to laugh just as she always does--for
a long, bright and happy while in some warm climate such as Italy's.
In nature I resigned my appointment. I did not consider England, or my
own trivial future, or anything of that sort. I considered only
Honoria."

He gazed for many moments upon the woman whom he loved. His speech
took on an odd simplicity.

"Oh, yes, I think that in the end Bute would procure a pardon for me.
But not even Bute can overr