The Westcotes

oman and showed to advantage on horseback, when her slight figure took a grace of movement which made amends for her face. To-day

in before the Town House (so the Westcotes always called the Bank-office

t deserved. Nevertheless she found this one pleasant-she had received so few-and laughed happily. It may have come from the freshness of the mo

d I are bound on the same errand. Her's cannot be to inspect d

owards the house, an

to 'The Dogs

e dogs' hein? Messieurs, I beg you to observe and take warn

nted and handed their horses over to the ostler who wai

he, addressing Endymion. She submitted

step down to the Orange Room and join you. I entrust her to you,

e old General wince. She slipped an arm through Mercury's bridle-rei

n the Orange Room

red the thought uppermost in her mind. "You must forgi

s more tha

not co

n he deserves to be. Of his kindness to us prisoners- I speak not of us privileged ones

I am not sure. I think a wo

arned that we are weak. For a man that is no easy lesson, Mademoiselle. I myself learned it hardly. And seeing your brother

a reply he had harked

command you to wait until Wednesday. We are in a horrible mess, I warn you, and smell of turpentine most potently. But we s

the designs are ext

me he was wounded at Austerlitz. Unhappily he was shipped, about two years ago, on board the Thétis frigate, with a detachment and stores for Martinique. The Thétis had scarcely left L'Orient before she fell in with one of your frigates, whose name escapes me; and here he is in Axces

she wondered at it, having hitherto regarded him as a cynical old fellow with a wit which cracked himself and the world like two dry nuts for the jest of their shrivelled kernels. She did not, know

Torbay. There may have been truth in the tradition; the room at any rate preserved in it window-hangings of orange-yellow, and a deep fringe of the same hue festooning the musicians' gallery. While serving Axcester for ball, rout, and general assembly-room, it had

more method, than a schoolboy's game. But her eyes, passing over the chaos of paint-pots, brushes, and step-ladders, told her the place had been transformed. The ceiling between the four pendants had become a blue heaven with filmy clouds, and Cupids scattering roses before a train of doves and a recumbent goddess, whom a little Italian, perched on a scaffolding and whistling shrilly, wa

lendour; golden sunsets, pale yellow skies, landscapes cleverly imitated from recollections of Claude Lorraine, dotted with temples and small figures in flowing drapery, with here and there a glimpse of naked limbs. Here were Bacchus and Ariadne, with a company of dancing revellers; Apollo and Marsyas; the Rape of Helen; Dido welcoming Aeneas. . . . Dorothea (albeit she had

s! You must let me pre

e you. Hi, t

panels between the curtains, turned sharply. Almost before Dorothea was

e young prisoner who had nailed the b

pected no visitors before Wednesday. The General had played a surprise upon

er drawings for h

hea b

y knew how much I am ashamed of them. And besides, they were meant as di

had already taken note of his voice

r. "Be pleased to observe the lady sinking into the bush; an effect which the ingenious p

gold eye-glass. M. Raoul moved towards t

g the Garden of

d about the foot of the tree, the dragon Ladon blinked an eye lazily at three maidens pacing hand in hand in the dance, over-hung with dark boughs and golden fr

ed. "But it is not qu

is frank, will say th

held a c

could not guess, ev

d, for

boa

ompletely

anel, and with his forefingers traced the o

r les Aspirants

to answer him, or even what kind of answer he expected, and stood dumb, gazing at his back. A workman, passing, apologised for having brushed her skirt

a temple for us, and on Wednesday I hear you are to provide the music. Tum-tum, ta-ta-ta . . ." He hummed a few bars of Gluck's "Paride ed Elenna," and paused, with th

, who stepped forward from the wall and

ire, in the first pla

ly puzzled Dorothea, who did not know that Seymour was the name

ably, "we but repay our debt to M. le Commi

ook the shot, if shot it were, for a compliment. He put the awkwa

, with one or two salesmen whom you must recommend to me, General. We might dispose of quite a number of their small carvings and articles de Paris, with which the market among the town

u-" General Rocha

E

the kindness shown to them by all in Axcester. That has been the w

in my classics, but Bacchus, Dorothea! This will please Narcissus. We have in our house, sir,"- here he addressed Raoul,-"a Roman pavement entirely-ah-concerned with t

e young man interposed, with his

ill repay your inspection

ng was of gratitude. A moment later she blamed herself for having asked his forbearance by a look, and him for his confidence in seeking that look. His

ked up a small book which lay face

t brings up old school-days At Winchester-old swishings, too, Gener

Commissaire! But you will not find Ariadne i

ended, in his breezy way, each separate panel. "You must take my criticisms for what they are worth, M. Raoul. But

's murmur, "Heaven distributes to us our talents, Monsieur," and was angry with him, understanding and deprecating the raillery beneath h

of Mademoiselle n

he resented. There was nothing to say, again; yet she had found n