of
his former neglect and indifference, when Banks announced:

"His honour, Mr. Manners!"

Comyn and I exchanged glances, and his Lordship gave a low whistle. Nor
was the circumstance without its effect upon Mr. Dix. With my knowledge
of the character of Dorothy's father I might have foreseen this visit,
which came, nevertheless, as a complete surprise. For a moment I
hesitated, and then made a motion to show him up. Comyn voiced my
decision.

"Why let the little cur stand in the way?" he said; "he counts for
nothing."

Mr. Marmaduke was not long in ascending, and tripped into the room as
Mr. Dix backed out of it, as gayly as tho' he had never sent me about
my business in the street. His clothes, of a cherry cut velvet, were as
ever a little beyond the fashion, and he carried something I had never
before seen, then used by the extreme dandies in London,--an umbrella.

"What! Richard Carvel! Is it possible?" he screamed in his piping voice.
"We mourned you for dead, and here you turn up in London alive and well,
and bigger and stronger than ever. Oons! one need not go to Scripture
for miracles. I shall write my congratulations to Mr. Carvel this day,
sir." And he pushed his fingers into my waistcoat, so that Comyn and
I were near to laughing in his face. For it was impossible to be angry
with a little coxcomb of such pitiful intelligence.

"Ah, good morning, my Lord. I see your Lordship has risen early in
the same good cause, I myself am up two hours before my time. You will
pardon the fuss I am making over the lad, Comyn, but his grandfather
is my very dear friend, and Richard was brought up with my daughter
Dorothy. They were like brother and sister. What, Richard, you will not
take my hand! Surely you are not so unreasonable as to hold against
me that unfortunate circumstance in Arlington Street! Yes, Dorothy has
shocked me. She has told me of it."

Comyn winked at me as I replied:--

"We shan't mention it, Mr. Manners. I have had my three weeks in prison,
and perhaps know the world all the better for them."

He held up his umbrella in mock dismay, and stumbled abruptly into a
chair. There he sat looking at me, a whimsical uneasiness on his face.
"We shall indeed mention it, sir. Three weeks in prison, to think of
it! And you would not so much as send me a line. Ah, Richard, pride is a
good thing, but I sometimes think we from Maryland have too much of
it. We shall indeed speak of the matter. Out of justice