At twelve o’clock the great bell tolled, and Hamilton knew it was time to descend to dinner. He was busily employed writing, when some one knocked loudly at the door. “Come in,” he cried, collecting the papers scattered about him, and Baron Z— entered the room. He burst into a violent fit of laughter on seeing Hamilton’s dolorous countenance, shook him heartily by the hand, and assured him he thought him a capital fellow, and had not the smallest doubt that he would make an excellent diplomat. “But, indeed, Baron Z—, I never meant—You must not think I intentionally——” “Don’t explain—pray, don’t explain—I am so obliged to you! My wife thinks herself clever! She write what she call ‘general terms.’ Ha! ha! ha! And when she explain to me what meant ‘general terms,’ I told to her that pass for our Mr. Hamilton so good as another—but she always think herself so clever!” “I am extremely distressed—disappointed, I must say, at the frustration of all my hopes. I entreat you to apologise for me—I leave Seon as soon as possible after dinner——” “Yes; we leave Seon as soon as possible. I send Joseph to pack for you while we go to dinner.” “Am I to understand that you renew your invitation to me after what has occurred?” asked Hamilton, with a feeling of inexpressible pleasure. “And why not? My wife write and I invite in general terms; and now, Mr. A. Hamilton, Esquire, let us go to dinner.” “I should wish beforehand to explain——” “To my wife? Oh, very well; we call for her on the way.” “Here,” he cried, throwing wide open the door of her apartment, “here I come to present my friend, Mr. A. Hamilton, Esquire; he wish in general terms to explain to you, and to kiss your hand.” “The latter part of your speech is composed, Herrmann,” she answered, laughing. “Mr. Hamilton does not yet know enough of the ‘domestic manners of the Germans’ to be aware that kissing a lady’s hand is a very common action. Here is my hand—it is not, however, worth while blushing about it,” she added, drawing it back again; “and Herrmann shall be your deputy. It would be difficult to bring a perceptible addition of colour to that sunburnt face.” He took both of her hands, and, as he pressed them to his lips, declared he was very content to have such a clever wife! --------------------- CHAPTER IV. A WALK OF NO COMMON DESCRIPTION. “DO you smoke, Mr. Hamilton?” asked Baron Z—, as he assisted his wife into the carriage. “I rather like a cigar sometimes.” “I merely wish to explain to you, that if you wish to smoke now, you had better mount up here,” he said, seating himself on the front seat of the carriage. “My wife is quite German in every respect, but she has not yet learned to like the smell of tobacco.” “Nor ever will,” said A. Z.; “nor shall I ever learn to like having guns so near me. Why are they not packed, as usual, in the long case?”