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 *pressing with his hand over his heart his delight at my appearance, and his sincere appreciation of the honour that a visit from my fair self conferred upon him.

"And, my dearest lady," he concluded, rubbing his drowsy eyes, "if there is one thing you would have me perform, I shall esteem it a privilege to perform it, for at this moment you behold me quite as much as formerly the servant—nay, the slave—of beauty, youth, wisdom and wit. But first, dear madam, I beseech you to accept a chair."

"Papa," says I, plunging straight into the business that had brought me, "I have a few surprises for you. First, I think you are acquainted with the name of a certain Mr. Dare, a very arrant rebel?"

"I am," says he, "and to my sorrow."

"Well, my lord," says I, "they have now reta'en this person, and he is bound for Tyburn even now."

"Very glad indeed to hear it," says my lord, right heartily. "And had this been the case a week ago, I should have been spared some shattering of sleep."

The old gentleman here regarded me with a singular twinkling keenness that required great sturdiness to meet.

"Very nice of you, my lord, to cherish such sentiments as these towards my future husband," says I, with the most brazen boldness.

"Your future what!" cries out my lord, jump