“Yes.  He did but stay, at the earnest solicitation of his comrades, to take yet another glass, ere he came upon his expedition.”

“He must be met.  The idiot! what business is it of his?”

“There are always people who will make everything their business, whether it be so or not.”

“There are.  Let us retire further into the recesses of the ruin, and there consider as well what is to be done regarding more important affairs, as with this rash intruder here.”

They both walked for some twenty paces, or so, right into the ruin, and then he who had been there first, said, suddenly, to his companion,—­

“I am annoyed, although the feeling reaches no further than annoyance, for I have a natural love of mischief, to think that my reputation has spread so widely, and made so much noise.”

“Your reputation as a vampyre, Sir Francis Varney, you mean?”

“Yes; but there is no occasion for you to utter my name aloud, even here where we are alone together.”

“It came out unawares.”

“Unawares!  Can it be possible that you have so little command over yourself as to allow a name to come from your lips unawares?”

“Sometimes.”

“I am surprised.”

“Well, it cannot be helped.  What do you now propose to do?”

“Nay, you are my privy councillor.  Have you no deep-laid, artful project in hand?  Can you not plan and arrange something which may yet have the effect of accomplishing what at first seemed so very simple, but which has, from one unfortunate circumstance and another, become full of difficulty and pregnant with all sorts of dangers?”

“I must confess I have no plan.”

“I listen with astonishment.”

“Nay, now, you are jesting.”

“When did you ever hear of me jesting?”

“Not often, I admit.  But you have a fertile genius, and I have always, myself, found it easier to be the executive than to plan an elaborate course of action for others.”

“Then you throw it all on me?”

“I throw a weight, naturally enough, upon the shoulders which I think the best adapted to sustain it.”

“Be it so, then—­be it so.”

“You are, I presume, from what you say, provided with a scheme of action which shall present better hopes of success, at less risk, I hope.  Look what great danger we have already passed through.”

“Yes, we have.”

“I pray you avoid that in the next campaign.”

“It is not the danger that annoys and troubles me, but it is that, notwithstanding it, the object is as far off as ever from being attained.”

“And not only so, but, as is invariably the case under such circumstances, we have made it more difficult of execution because we have put those upon their guard thoroughly who are the most likely to oppose us.”

“We have—­we have.”

“And placed the probability of success afar off indeed.”