“That I can explain perfectly to you.  You must know that when my darling Loo consented to take this step, which I induced her to do with the greatest difficulty, she made the proviso I have just mentioned; I at once showed her that I had no maiden aunt or married sister to confide her to at such a moment, and what was to be done?  She immediately replied, ’Have you no elderly brother officer, whose years and discretion will put the transaction in such a light as to silence the slanderous tongues of the world, for with such a man I am quite ready and willing to trust myself.’  You see I was hard pushed there.  What could I do?—­whom could I select?  Old Hayes, the paymaster, is always tipsy; Jones is five-and-forty—­but egad!  I’m not so sure I’d have found my betrothed at the end of the stage.  You were my only hope; I knew I could rely upon you.  You would carry on the whole affair with tact and discretion; and as to age, your stage experience would enable you, with a little assistance from costume, to pass muster; besides that, I have always represented you as the very Methuselah of the corps; and in the grey dawn of an autumnal morning—­with maiden bashfulness assisting—­the scrutiny is not likely to be a close one.  So, now, your consent is alone wanting to complete the arrangements which, before this time to-morrow, shall have made me the happiest of mortals.”

Having expressed, in fitting terms, my full sense of obligation for the delicate flattery with which he pictured me as “Old Lorrequer” to the Lady, I begged a more detailed account of his plan, which I shall shorten for my reader’s sake, by the following brief expose.

A post-chaise and four was to be in waiting at five o’clock in the morning to convey me to Sir Alfred Jonson’s residence, about twelve miles distant.  There I was to be met by a lady at the gate-lodge, who was subsequently to accompany me to a small village on the Nore, where an old college friend of Curzon’s happened to reside, as parson, and by whom the treaty was to be concluded.

This was all simple and clear enough—­the only condition necessary to insure success being punctuality, particularly on the lady’s part.  As to mine I readily promised my best aid and warmest efforts in my friend’s behalf.

“There is only one thing more,” said Curzon.  “Louisa’s younger brother is a devilish hot-headed, wild sort of a fellow; and it would be as well, just for precaution sake, to have your pistols along with you, if, by any chance, he should make out what was going forward—­not but that you know if any thing serious was to take place, I should be the person to take all that upon my hands.”

“Oh! of course—­I understand,” said I. Meanwhile I could not help running over in my mind the pleasant possibilities such an adventure presented, heartily wishing that Curzon had been content to marry by bans or any other of the legitimate modes in use, without risking his friend’s bones.  The other pros and cons of the matter, with full and accurate directions as to the road to be taken on obtaining possession of the lady, being all arranged, we parted, I to settle my costume and appearance for my first performance in an old man’s part, and Curzon to obtain a short leave for a few days from the commanding officer of the regiment.