mingled
astonishment and confusion; "how do you know that?"

"He writes me from Long's to say that he 'll be with us by Friday, or,
if not, by Saturday."

"What a miserable place to receive him!" exclaimed Glencore. "As for
you, Harcourt, you know how to rough it, and have bivouacked too often
under the stars to care much for satin curtains. But think of Upton
here! How is he to eat, where is he to sleep?"

"By Jove! we 'll treat him handsomely. Don't you fret yourself about his
comforts; besides, I 've seen a great deal of Upton, and, with all his
fastidiousness and refinement, he's a thorough good fellow at taking
things for the best. Invite him to Chatsworth, and the chances are he'll
find fault with twenty things,--with the place, the cookery, and the
servants; but take him down to the Highlands, lodge him in a shieling,
with bannocks for breakfast and a Fyne herring for supper, and I 'll
wager my life you 'll not see a ruffle in his temper, nor hear a word of
impatience out of his mouth."

"I know that he is a well-bred gentleman," said Glencore, half
pettishly; "but I have no fancy for putting his good manners to a severe
test, particularly at the cost of my own feelings."

"I tell you again he shall be admirably treated; he shall have my room;
and, as for his dinner, Master Billy and I are going to make a raid
amongst the lobster-pots. And what with turbot, oysters, grouse-pie,
and mountain mutton, I 'll make the diplomatist sorrow that he is not
accredited to some native sovereign in the Arran islands, instead of
some 'mere German Hertzog.' He can only stay one day."

"One day!"

"That's all; he is over head and ears in business, and he goes down to
Windsor on Thursday, so that there is no help for it."

"I wish I may be strong enough; I hope to Heaven that I may rally--"
Glencore stopped suddenly as he got thus far, but the agitation the
words cost him seemed most painful.

"I say again, don't distress yourself about Upton,--leave the care of
entertaining him to _me_. I 'll vouch for it that he leaves us well
satisfied with his welcome."

"It was not of _that_ I was thinking," said he, impatiently; "I have
much to say to him,--things of great importance. It may be that I
shall be unequal to the effort; I cannot answer for my strength for a
day,--not for an hour. Could you not write to him, and ask him to defer
his coming till such time as he can spare me a week, or at least some
days?"

"My dear