boot-varnish which he alone possessed; sometimes by reading a shilling novel of fashionable life, or nodding dreamily over the _Times_ of the previous day. One night, as he was attending his master to bed, he brought forth a special bit of news which he had reserved. "House full here, sir," said he, as he was mixing the old gentleman's evening draught. "Ah!" growled Sir Marmaduke. "God bless my soul, pack of people come over by the rail devilish cheap, and all that sort of thing. Poor dear old diligences kept the place dear; that was one comfort. Full, eh? Any body I know?" "Capting Currer, from the Forring Office, come in to-night, sir; saw he had a white shammy-leather bag with him, sir--" "Ah! Queen's messenger off to-morrow morning to Smyrna or Kamschatka, or some infernal place. Any body else?" "Miss Lexden come, sir; but we was full here, just full; so she have gone next door to the Windsor, sir. Only Withers with her, sir; no one else. Must miss Miss Barbara, sir--Mrs. Churchill, sir--I shouldn't think, sir." "What the devil business is it of yours? What right have you to think about it? There now; be off! Good night." "Bless my soul!" said the old gentleman, when he was left alone. "I'm deuced glad Susan didn't get in here, or she'd have led me a pretty life. I suppose I must call on her to-morrow morning. Deuced unpleasant 'talk there'll be--Barbara, and all the rest of it. Poor girl! Susan--too hard--come round at last;" and musing in this way Sir Marmaduke fell asleep. When, in the course of the next day, he called upon Miss Lexden, he found that lady in the highest spirits. "I knew you were here, Sir Marmaduke," said she. "I've had Cabanel here;--you recollect little Cabanel? Spanish-looking little fellow with black eyes; was an attaché when the Walewskis were in London; and he saw you at the duchess's last week. You're going there to-morrow of course? How well you look! that's the climate, you know, and the style of life; so much better than in that wretched old island of ours." "What news do you bring from that wretched old island of ours?" asked the old gentleman. "News? none; not a scrap, positively not a scrap; nobody in town, not a soul. I didn't wait there above a day, but came through at once." "You did not stop long enough to see the Churchills, I suppose?" "The--eh? I beg your pardon, I did not catch the name." "The Churchills." "Churchills!" echoed Miss Lexden, with the greatest deliberation; "Churchills! I have not the least idea who you mean."