‘Dobbin!—­Jeho!’ and strange calls and sounds, which all the other horses of the team obeyed; and the waggon turned into the farmyard.

‘Now, master! while I turn, you may pass.’

The covering of the waggon caught in the hedge as the waggon turned in; and as the sacking was drawn back, some of the packages were disturbed—­a cheese was just rolling off on the side next Lord Colambre; he stopped it from falling; the direction caught his quick eye—­’To Ralph Reynolds, Esq.’—­’Toddrington’ scratched out; ’Red Lion Square, London,’ written in another hand below.

‘Now I have found him!  And surely I know that hand!’ said Lord Colambre to himself, looking more closely at the direction.

The original direction was certainly in a handwriting well known to him it was Lady Dashfort’s.

‘That there cheese, that you’re looking at so cur’ously,’ said the waggoner, has been a great traveller; for it came all the way down from Lon’on, and now it’s going all the way up again back, on account of not finding the gentleman at home; and the man that booked it told me as how it came from foreign parts.’

Lord Colambre took down the direction, tossed the honest waggoner a guinea, wished him good-night, passed, and went on.  As soon as he could, he turned into the London road—­at the first town, got a place in the mail—­reached London—­saw his father—­went directly to his friend, Count O’Halloran, who was delighted when he beheld the packet.  Lord Colambre was extremely eager to go immediately to old Reynolds, fatigued as he was; for he had travelled night and day, and had scarcely allowed himself, mind or body, one moment’s repose.

’Heroes must sleep, and lovers too; or they soon will cease to be heroes or lovers!’ said the count.  ’Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! this night; and to-morrow morning we’ll finish the adventure in Red Lion Square, or I will accompany you when and where you will; if necessary, to earth’s remotest bounds.’

The next morning Lord Colambre went to breakfast with the count.  The count, who was not in love, was not up, for our hero was half an hour earlier than the time appointed.  The old servant Ulick, who had attended his master to England, was very glad to see Lord Colambre again, and, showing him into the breakfast parlour, could not help saying, in defence of his master’s punctuality—­

’Your clocks, I suppose, my lord, are half an hour faster than ours; my master will be ready to the moment.’

The count soon appeared—­breakfast was soon over, and the carriage at the door; for the count sympathised in his young friend’s impatience.  As they were setting out, the count’s large Irish dog pushed out of the house door to follow them and his master would have forbidden him, but Lord Colambre begged that he might be permitted to accompany them; for his lordship recollected the old woman’s having mentioned that Mr. Reynolds was fond of dogs.