“’If Mr. Carvel remains long enough in England, he bids fair to share the talk of Mayfair with a certain honourable young gentleman of Brooks’s and the Admiralty, whose debts and doings now furnish most of the gossip for the clubs and the card tables.  Their names are both connected with this contest.  ’Tis whispered that the wager upon which the match was ridden arose—­’” here Dolly stopped shortly, her colour mounting, and cried out with a stamp of her foot.  “You are not content to bring publicity upon yourself, who deserve it, but must needs drag innocent names into the newspapers.”

“What have they said?” I demanded, ready to roll every printer in London in the kennel.

“Nay, you may read for yourself,” said she.  And, flinging the paper in my lap, left the room.

They had not said much more, Heaven be praised.  But I was angry and mortified as I had never been before, realizing for the first time what a botch I had made of my stay in London.  In great dejection, I was picking up my hat to leave the house, when Mrs. Manners came in upon me, and insisted that I should stay for dinner.  She was very white, and seemed troubled and preoccupied, and said that Mr. Manners had come back from York with a cold on his chest, but would insist upon joining the party to Vauxhall on Monday.  I asked her when she was going to the baths, and suggested that the change would do her good.  Indeed, she looked badly.

“We are not going, Richard,” she replied; “Dorothy will not hear of it.  In spite of the doctor she says she is not ill, and must attend at Vauxhall, too.  You are asked?”

I said that Mr. Storer had included me.  I am sure, from the way she looked at me, that she did not heed my answer.  She appeared to hesitate on the verge of a speech, and glanced once or twice at the doors.

“Richard, I suppose you are old enough to take care of yourself, tho’ you seem still a child to me.  I pray you will be careful, my boy,” she said, with something of the affection she had always borne me, “for your grandfather’s sake, I pray you will run into no more danger.  I—­we are your old friends, and the only ones here to advise you.”

She stopped, seemingly, to weigh the wisdom of what was to come next, while I leaned forward with an eagerness I could not hide.  Was she to speak of the Duke of Chartersea?  Alas, I was not to know.  For at that moment Dorothy came back to inquire why I was not gone to the cudgelling at the Three Hats.  I said I had been invited to stay to dinner.

“Why, I have writ a note asking Comyn,” said she.  “Do you think the house will hold you both?”

His Lordship came in as we were sitting down, bursting with some news, and he could hardly wait to congratulate Dolly on her recovery before he delivered it.

“Why, Richard,” says the dog, “what do you think some wag has done now?  They believe at Brooks’s ’twas that jackanapes of a parson, Dr. Warner, who was there yesterday with March.”  He drew a clipping from his pocket.  “Listen, Miss Dolly: