e lad that I invited him to sup with me, and he gave me back a message
fit for Mr. Wilkes to send to his Majesty, as haughty as you choose,
that if I desired him I must have his friend in the bargain. You
Americans are the very devil for independence, Miss Manners! 'Ods
fish, I liked his spirit so much I had his friend, Captain something or
other--'and there he stopped, caught by Miss Manners's appearance, for
she was very white.

"'The name is Richard Carvel!' she cried.

"'I'll lay a thousand it was!' I shouted, rising in my chair. And the
company stared, and Lady Pembroke vowed I had gone mad.

"'Bless me, bless me, here's a romance for certain!' cried Horry; 'it
throws my "Castle of Otranto" in the shade' ("that's some damned book he
has written," Comyn interjected).

"You may not believe me, Richard, when I say that Miss Dolly ate but
little after that, and her colour came and went like the red of a stormy
sunset at sea. 'Here's this dog Richard come to spill all our chances,'
I swore to myself. The company had been prodigiously entertained by the
tale, and clamoured for more, and when Horry had done I told how you had
fought me at Annapolis, and had saved my life. But Miss Manners sat very
still, biting her lip, and I knew she was sadly vexed that you had not
gone to her in Arlington Street. For a woman will reason thus," said his
Lordship, winking wisely. "But I more than suspected something to have
happened, so I asked Horry to send his fellow Favre over to the Star and
Garter to see if you were there, tho' I was of three minds to let you
go to the devil. You should have seen her face when he came back to say
that you had been for three weeks in a Castle Yard sponging-house! Then
Horry said he would lend me his coach, and when it was brought around
Miss Manners took our breaths by walking downstairs and into it, nor
would she listen to a word of the objections cried by my Lady Pembroke
and the rest. You must know there is no stopping the beauty when she has
made her mind. And while they were all chattering on the steps I jumped
in, and off we drove, and you will be the most talked-of man in London
to-morrow. I give you Miss Manners!" cried his Lordship, as he ended.

We all stood to the toast, I with my blood a-tingle and my brain awhirl,
so that I scarce knew what I did.

CHAPTER XXVII. IN WHICH I AM SORE TEMPTED

"Who the devil is this John Paul, and what is to become of him?" asked
Comyn, as I es