me with a letter to Captain Alsop. Did Captain Paul know
him? But the captain was describing West Indian life to Mrs. Manners.
Dorothy had little to say; and as for me, I was in no very pleasant
humour.

I gave a deaf ear to Mr. Marmaduke's sallies, to speculate on the nature
of the disgrace which Chartersea was said to hold over his head. And
twenty times, as I looked upon Dolly's beauty, I ground my teeth at
the notion of returning home. I have ever been slow of suspicion, but
suddenly it struck me sharply that Mr. Manners's tactics must have a
deeper significance than I had thought. Why was it that he feared my
presence in London?

As we made our way back to the drawing-room, I was hoping for a talk
with Dolly (alas! I should not have many more), when I heard a voice
which sounded strangely familiar.

"You know, Comyn," it was saying, "you know I should be at the
Princess's were I not so completely worn out. I was up near all of last
night with Rosette."

Mr. Marmaduke, entering before us, cried:--

"The dear creature! I trust you have had medical attendance, Mr.
Walpole."

"Egad!" quoth Horry (for it was he), "I sent Favre to Hampstead to fetch
Dr. Pratt, where he was attending some mercer's wife. It seems that
Rosette had got into the street and eaten something horrible out of the
kennel. I discharged the footman, of course."

"A plague on your dog, Horry," said my Lord, yawning, and was about to
add something worse, when he caught sight of Dorothy.

Mr. Walpole bowed over her hand.

"And have you forgotten so soon your Windsor acquaintances, Mr.
Walpole?" she asked, laughing.

"Bless me," said Horry, looking very hard at me, "so it is, so it
is. Your hand, Mr. Carvel. You have only to remain in London, sir, to
discover that your reputation is ready-made. I contributed my mite. For
you must know that I am a sort of circulating library of odd news which
those devils, the printers, contrive to get sooner or later--Heaven
knows how! And Miss Manners herself has completed your fame. Yes, the
story of your gallant rescue is in all the clubs to-day. Egad, sir, you
come down heads up, like a loaded coin. You will soon be a factor in
Change Alley." And glancing slyly at the blushing Dolly, he continued:

"I have been many things, Miss Manners, but never before an instrument
of Providence. And so you discovered your rough diamond yesterday, and
have polished him in a day. O that Dr. Franklin had profited as we