"Well; but what did you say?" Now I was in half a dozen minds as to what I should tell him. He knew for certain nothing at all of my comings and goings and of what I did for the King; yet I thought that he must have guessed a good deal. I judged it safer, therefore, to tell him a little, to stop his month; but not too much. "Why," I said very carefully, "I have been of a little service to the King; and His Majesty was good enough to ask me if there were any little favour he could do me. So that is what I asked him." Tom stopped in his pacing again: and it was then that I entreated him to sit down and talk like a Christian. He did so, without a word. "In France, I suppose?" he said immediately after. "Why, yes." Tom looked at me again. "And you travel with four men now, instead of one." "I find it more convenient," I said. "And more expensive too," he observed. "Why, yes: a little more expensive, too," I answered. But I was a shade uneasy; because this increase of servants was at His Majesty's desire and cost. I made haste to turn the conversation back once more. I did not wish Tom to think that I was of any importance at all. "Well; but what of Dolly?" I said. It was then that my Cousin suddenly came down from his loftiness. He seemed to awake out of a little reverie. "You come into the enjoyment of your property," he said, "in four years from now?" "In less than that," I said. "It is three years and a half. My birthday is in June." He asked me one or two more questions then as to its amount, and what arrangements I would make in the event of my marriage. When I had satisfied him upon these matters, he fell again into a reverie. "Well?" said I, a little sharply. "Cousin," he said, "I do not wish to stand in your way. But there must be no talk of marriage till '85. Will that content you?" It did not in the least; but it was what I had expected. I was scarcely rich enough yet to support a wife, and knew that, well enough; for if I married and left the King's service there would be no more travelling expenses for me. Dolly and I last night had agreed upon that as the least that we could consent to. "Four years is a long time," said I. "You said three and a half just now," he observed a little bitterly. "Well: three and a half. I suppose I must take that, if I can get nothing better." * * * * *