“I have his majesty’s order to invite your Excellency to dinner to-morrow,” said the grand Mareschal coming up at this instant.

I bowed my acknowledgments, and turned again to Lord Callonby, whose surprise now seemed to have reached the climax.

“Why Lorrequer, I never heard of this? when did you adopt this new career?”

Not understanding the gist of the question, and conceiving that it applied to my success at court, I answered at random, something about “falling upon my legs, good luck, &c.,” and once more returned to the charge, enquiring most anxiously for Lady Callonby’s health.

“Ah! she is tolerably well.  Jane is the only invalid, but then we hope Italy will restore her.”  Just at this instant, Kilkee caught my eye, and rushing over from his place beside his partner, shook me by both hands, saying,

“Delighted to see you here Lorrequer, but as I can’t stay now, promise to sup with me to-night at the ’Cross’.”

I accepted of course, and the next instant, he was whirling along in his waltze, with one of the most lovely German girls I ever saw.  Lord Callonby saw my admiration of her, and as it were replying to my gaze, remarked,

“Yes, very handsome indeed, but really Kilkee is going too far with it.  I rely upon you very much to reason him out of his folly, and we have all agreed that you have most influence over him, and are most likely to be listened to patiently.”

Here was a new character assigned me, the confidential friend and adviser of the family, trusted with a most delicate and important secret, likely to bring me into most intimate terms of intercourse with them all, for the “we” of Lord Callonby bespoke a family consultation, in which I was deputed as the negociator.  I at once promised my assistance, saying, at the same time, that if Kilkee really was strongly attached, and had also reason to suppose that the Lady liked him, it was not exactly fair; that in short, if the matter had gone beyond flirtation, any interference of mine would be imprudent, if not impertinent.  Lord Callonby smiled slightly as he replied,

“Quite right, Lorrequer, I am just as much against constraint as yourself, if only no great barriers exist; but here with a difference of religion, country, language, habits, in fact, everything that can create disparity, the thing is not to be thought of.”

I suspected that his Lordship read in my partial defence of Kilkee, a slight attempt to prop up my own case, and felt confused and embarrassed beyond measure at the detection.

“Well, we shall have time enough for all this.  Now let us hear something of my old friend Sir Guy.  How is he looking?”

“I am unfortunately unable to give you any account of him.  I left Paris the very day before he was expected to arrive there.”

“Oh then, I have all the news myself in that case, for in his letter which I received yesterday, he mentions that we are not to expect him before Tuesday.”