No sooner had they left the room together than Darius, junior, turned energetically to his guest, and said in a voice ringing with pride—­

“You may not believe me, Count, but I assure you that is the third fellow she has seen to the door inside a fortnight!  One Duke, one Viscount—­who will expand into something more considerable some day—­and this Honorable Pilkington!  Your friend, sir, will be a fortunate man if he is able to please my sister.”

“She seems, indeed, a charming girl.”

“Charming!  She is an angel in human form!  And I, sir, her brother, will see to it that she is not deceived in the man she chooses—­not if I can help it!”

The young man said this with such an air as Bunker supposed his forefathers to have worn when they hurled the tea into Boston harbor.

“I trust that Lord Tulliwuddle, at least, will not fall under your displeasure, sir,” he replied with an air of sincere conviction that exactly echoed his thoughts.

“Oh, Ri!” cried Eleanor, running back into the room, “he was so sweet as he said good-by in the hall that I nearly kissed him!  I would have, only it might have made him foolish again.  But did you see his shoulders, Count!  And oh, to think of marrying a gentle thing like that!  Is Lord Tulliwuddle a firm man, Count Bunker?”

“Adamant—­when in the right,” the Count assured her.

A renewed air of happy musing in her eyes warned him that he had probably said exactly enough, and with the happiest mean betwixt deference and dignity he bade them farewell.

“Then, Count, we shall see you all to-morrow,” said Eleanor as they parted.  “Please tell your hosts that I am very greatly looking forward to the pleasure of knowing them.  There is a Miss Gallosh, isn’t there?”

The Count informed her that there was in fact such a lady.

“That is very good news for me!  I need a girl friend very badly, Count; these proposals lose half their fun with only Ri to tell them to.  I intend to make a confidante of Miss Gallosh on the spot!”

“H’m,” thought the Count, as he drove away, “I wonder whether she will.”

CHAPTER XVIII

As the plenipotentiary approached the Castle he was somewhat surprised to pass a dog-cart containing not only his fellow-guest, Mr. Cromarty-Gow, but Mr. Gow’s luggage also, and although he had hitherto taken no particular interest in that gentleman, yet being gifted with the true adventurer’s instinct for promptly investigating any unusual circumstance, he sought his host as soon as he reached the house, with a view to putting a careless question or two.  For no one, he felt sure, had been expected to leave for a few days to come.

“Yes,” said Mr. Gallosh, “the young spark’s off verra suddenly.  We didn’t expect him to be leaving before Tuesday.  But—­well, the fact is—­umh’m—­oh, it’s nothing to speak off.”