tinctive abroad as in England, and so he began to con over to himself
what words of French he could muster, to make his advances. Now, had
it been Hindostanee that was required, Sir Arthur would have opened
his negotiations with all the florid elegance that could be wished; but
French was a tongue in which he had never been a proficient, and, in
his ordinary life, had little need of. He thought, however, that his
magnificent carriage and splendid horses would help him out of the
blunders of declensions and genders, and that what he wanted in grammar
he could make up in greatness. "Follow me to M'Grotty's," said he to his
coachman, and took the way across the square.

Major M'Caskey--for it was no other than that distinguished
gentleman--was standing with both hands in the pockets of a very
short shooting-jacket, and a clay pipe in his mouth, as Sir Arthur,
courteously uncovering, bowed his way up the steps, saying something in
which _l'honneur, la felicite, and infiniment flatte_, floated amidst
a number of less intelligibly rendered syllables, ended the whole with
"_Ami de mon ami_, M. Norman Maitland."

Major M'Caskey raised his hat straight above his head and replaced it,
listening calmly to the embarrassed attempts of the other, and then
coldly replied in French, "I have the honor to be the friend of M.
Maitland,--how and when can I see him?"

"If you will condescend to be my guest, and allow me to offer you a seat
with me to Lyle Abbey, you will see your friend." And, as Sir Arthur
spoke, he pointed to his carriage.

"Ah, and this is yours? _Pardie!_ it's remarkably well done. I accept
at once. Fetch down my portmanteau and the pistol-case," said he to a
small, ill-looking boy in a shabby green livery, and to whom he spoke in
a whisper; while, turning to Sir Arthur, he resumed his French.

"This I call a real piece of good-fortune,--I was just saying to myself,
'Here I am; and though he says, Come! how are we to meet?'"

"But you knew, Count, that we were expecting you."

"Nothing of the kind. All I knew was his message, 'Come here.' I had no
anticipation of such pleasant quarters as you promise me."

Seated in the post of honor on the right of Sir Arthur, the Major, by
way of completing the measure of his enjoyments, asked leave to smoke.
The permission was courteously accorded, and away they rolled over the
smooth highway to the pleasant measure of that stirring music,--the trot
of four spanking horses.