“Just as I was writing this sentence,” continues Alfred, “Count Altenberg called--how fortunate!--how obliging of him to come so early, before I went to the courts. He has put me into good humour again with the whole world--even with the Miss Falconers. He came to take leave of me--he is going down to the country--with whom do you think?--With Lord Oldborough, during the recess. Did I not tell you that Lord Oldborough would like him--that is, would find that he has information, and can be useful? I hope you will all see the count; indeed I am sure you will. He politely spoke of paying his respects to my father, by whom the shipwrecked foreigners had been so hospitably succoured in their distress. I told him that our family no longer lived in the same place; that we had been obliged to retire to a small estate, in a distant part of the county. I did not trouble him with the history of our family misfortunes; nor did I even mention how the shipwreck, and the carelessness of the Dutch sailors, had occasioned the fire at Percy Hall--though I was tempted to tell him this when I was speaking of M. de Tourville. “I forgot to tell my father, that the morning when I went with the count to Lord Oldborough’s, among a heap of books of heraldry, with which his table was covered, I spied an old book of my father’s on the _arte_ of deciphering, which he had lent Commissioner Falconer years ago. Lord Oldborough, whose eye is quick as a hawk’s, saw my eye turn towards it, and he asked me if I knew any thing of that book, or of the art of deciphering? Nothing of the art, but something of the book, which I recollected to be my father’s. His lordship put it into my hands, and I showed some pencil notes of my father’s writing. Lord Oldborough seemed surprised, and said he did not know this had been among the number of your studies. I told him that you had once been much intent upon Wilkins and Leibnitz’s scheme of a universal language, and that I believed this had led you to the art of deciphering. He repeated the words ‘Universal language--Ha!--then I suppose it was from Mr. Percy that Commissioner Falconer learnt all he knew on this subject?’ “‘I believe so, my lord.’ “‘Ha!’ He seemed lost for a moment in thought, and then added, ‘I wish I had known this sooner--Ha!’ “What these _Haes_ meant, I was unable to decipher; but I am sure they related to some matter very interesting to him. He explained himself no farther, but immediately turned away from me to the count, and began to talk of the affairs of his court, and of M. de Tourville, of whom he seems to have some knowledge, I suppose through the means of his envoy, Cunningham Falconer.