“I beg your pardon, sir,” said Dandy, “I see a cousin o’ mine over the way; would your honor give me a couple of hours to spend wid him?  I haven’t seen him this—­God knows how long.”

Well might Dandy say so—­the cousin alluded to having been only conceived and brought forth from his own own fertile fancy at the moment, or rather, while his master was unconsciously uttering his soliloquy.  The truth was, that while the latter spoke, Dandy, whom he had ordered to attend him, without well knowing why, observed a hackney-coach draw up at the door of the opposite hotel; but this fact would not have in any particular way arrested his attention, had he not seen Alley Mahon giving orders to the driver.

“You’ll give me a couple of hours, your honor?”

“I’ll give you the whole day, Dandy, if you wish.  I shall be engaged, and will not require any further services from you until to-morrow.”

Dandy looked at him very significantly, and with a degree of assurance, for which we can certainly offer no apology, puckered his naturally comic face into a most mysterious grin, and closing one eye, or in other words, giving his master a knowing wink, said—­

“Very well, sir, I know how many banes makes five at any rate—­let me alone.”

“What do you mean, you varlet,” said his master, “by that impudent wink?”

“Wink?” replied Dandy, with a face of admirable composure.  “Oh, you observed it, then?  Sure, God help me, it’s a wakeness I have in one of my eyes ever since I had the small-pock.”

“And pray which eye is it in?” asked his master.

“In the left, your honor.”

“But, you scoundrel, you winked at me with the right.”

“Troth, sir, maybe I did, for it sometimes passes from the one to the other wid me—­but not often indeed—­it’s principally in my left.”

“Very well; but in speaking to me, use no such grimaces in future; and now go see your cousin.  I shall sleep for a few hours, for I feel somewhat jaded, paid out of order on many accounts.  But before you go, listen to me, and mark me well.  You saw me in conversation with Miss Gourlay?”

Dandy, whose perception was quick as lightning, had his finger on his lips immediately.  “I understand you, sir,” said he; “and once for all, sir,” he proceeded, “do you listen to me.  You may lay it down as one of the ten commandments, that any secret you may plaise to trust me with, will be undher a tombstone.  I’m not the stuff that a traitor or villain is made of.  So, once for fill, your honor, make your mind aisy on that point.”

“It will be your own interest to prove faithful,” said his master.  “Here is a month’s wages for you in advance.”

Dandy, having accepted the money, immediately proceeded to the next hackney station, which was in the same street, where he took a coach by the hour; and having got into it, ordered the driver to follow that which he saw waiting at the door of the hotel aforesaid.