“The hour had passed. I tried in vain to recall the feeling. I felt that it was more worthy of me than the fickle fancy which led me to the feet of Madame Carlitz; but man is the creature of circumstance, and my best feelings had been _froissé_ by the conventional aspect which C.’s flight had assumed. “A deep-mouthed thunder greeted me as I entered E. T.’s domain, the bass bow-wowing of some canine monster. ‘What new fancy?’ I asked myself, as a huge mastiff ran out at me, and made as if he would have rent me limb from limb. I was half inclined to seat myself on the ground, after the example of Ulysses, and the accomplished Mure of Cladwell; but before the creature could commence operations a familiar voice called to him, and E. T. himself emerged from the porch. ‘My dear H.,’ he exclaimed, ‘what an unexpected felicity! I thought you were at Vienna.’ ‘Indeed! I cried, somewhat piqued. ‘Has not Madame Carlitz told you of my whereabouts?’ ‘I have not seen her.’ ‘You have not seen her!’ I exclaimed, in utter bewilderment. ‘No. Madame left yesterday morning with Mr. and Mrs. H. I only arrived last night. Come indoors, old fellow, and let us hear your adventures since our last meeting. “I followed my friend across the little hall into the bare, tobacco-scented, bachelor sitting-room. The enchanter’s wand had been waived a second time, and the fairy vision had melted into thin air. Tiny dogs, dainty and fragile as animated Dresden china, ribbon-adorned guitar, satin-lined work-baskets, velvet-bound blotting-books, _déjeûners_ in old Vienna porcelain, card-bowl of priceless Worcester, leopard-skins, lounging-chairs, _portière_, and French prints had vanished; and in the place which these frivolities had embellished, I beheld the bare battered writing-table and shabby smoking-apparatus of my reckless friend, who stood with his arms a-kimbo, and a tawny-hided bull-dog between his legs, grinning--man and dog both, as it seemed to me--at my discomfiture. ‘What!’ cried E., ‘it was for the divine Carlitz your visit was intended? My shepherd told me there had been a fine London gentleman hanging about the place while madame and her following were here; but he could not tell me the fine gentleman’s name, and I little thought you were he. Come, my dear boy, fill yourself a pipe, and let’s talk over old times. You’ve been buried among your dryasdust books, I suppose, while I have been scouring Northern Europe in pursuit of the rapid reindeer and the sulky salmon.’ ‘We’ll talk as much as you like presently,’ I replied, ‘but just let me understand matters first. When I left madame and the H.’s the other night, it was understood they were to remain here some time longer. What took her to town?--is the Bonbonnière season to begin?’