room, "he was so sweet as
he said good-by in the hall that I nearly kissed him! I would have, only
it might have made him foolish again. But did you see his shoulders,
Count! And oh, to think of marrying a gentle thing like that! Is Lord
Tulliwuddle a firm man, Count Bunker?"

"Adamant--when in the right," the Count assured her.

A renewed air of happy musing in her eyes warned him that he had
probably said exactly enough, and with the happiest mean betwixt
deference and dignity he bade them farewell.

"Then, Count, we shall see you all to-morrow," said Eleanor as they
parted. "Please tell your hosts that I am very greatly looking forward
to the pleasure of knowing them. There is a Miss Gallosh, isn't there?"

The Count informed her that there was in fact such a lady.

"That is very good news for me! I need a girl friend very badly, Count;
these proposals lose half their fun with only Ri to tell them to. I
intend to make a confidante of Miss Gallosh on the spot!"

"H'm," thought the Count, as he drove away, "I wonder whether she will."

CHAPTER XVIII

As the plenipotentiary approached the Castle he was somewhat
surprised to pass a dog-cart containing not only his fellow-guest, Mr.
Cromarty-Gow, but Mr. Gow's luggage also, and although he had hitherto
taken no particular interest in that gentleman, yet being gifted with
the true adventurer's instinct for promptly investigating any unusual
circumstance, he sought his host as soon as he reached the house, with
a view to putting a careless question or two. For no one, he felt sure,
had been expected to leave for a few days to come.

"Yes," said Mr. Gallosh, "the young spark's off verra suddenly. We
didn't expect him to be leaving before Tuesday. But--well, the fact
is--umh'm--oh, it's nothing to speak off."

This reticence, however, was easily cajoled away by the insidious Count,
and at last Mr. Gallosh frankly confided to him--

"Well, Count, between you and me he seems to have had a kind of fancy
for my daughter Eva, and then his lordship coming--well, you'll see for
yourself how it was."

"He considered his chances lessened?"

"He told Rentoul they were clean gone."

Count Bunker looked decidedly serious.

"The devil!" he reflected. "The Baron is exceeding his commission.
Tulliwuddle is a brisk young fellow, but to commit him to two marriages
is neither Christian nor kind. And, without possessing the Baron's
remarkable enthusiasm for the sex, I feel