"Well, then, perhaps you are right. I don't like this champagne--get a bottle of Burgundy, Dimitri. Don't look so hard--it's all right. The captain dines out every day, and has ordered me to drink for the honour of the house." "He's a capital master," replied Dimitri, who had begun to feel the effects of the former bottles. As soon as the third bottle was tapped, McShane continued-- "Now, Dimitri, I've given my opinion, and I can tell you, if my master has, as I suspect, come here about this young lady, and succeeds in obtaining her, it will be a blessed thing for you and me; for he's as generous as the day, and has plenty of money. Do you know who she is?" "To be sure I do; she is an only daughter of the late Prince Czartorinski, and now a sort of ward under the protection of the Emperor. She inherits all the estates, except one which was left to found an hospital at Warsaw, and is a rich heiress. It is supposed the emperor will bestow her upon one of his generals. She is at the palace, and a maid of honour to the empress." "Whew!" whistled McShane; "won't there be a difficulty." "I should think so," replied the courier, gravely. "He must run away with her," said McShane, after a pause. "How will he get to see her?" "He will not see her, so as to speak with her, in the palace; that is not the custom here; but he might meet her elsewhere." "To be sure, at a party or a ball," said McShane. "No, that would not do; ladies and gentlemen keep very apart here in general company. He might say a word or two when dancing, but that is all." "But how is he to meet her, when, in this cursed place of yours, if men and women keep at arm's length?" "That must depend upon her. Tell me, does she love him?" "Well, now, that's a home question: she never told him she did, and she never told me, that's certain; but still I've an idea that she does." "Then all I can say, Macshanovich, is, that your master had better be very careful what he is about. Of course, he knows not that you have told me anything; but as soon as he thinks proper to trust me, I then will do my utmost in his service." "You speak like a very rational, sensible, intelligent courier," replied McShane, "and so now let us finish the bottle. Here's good luck to Captain O'Donahue, alive or dead: and now--please the fleas--I'll be asleep in less than ten minutes." CHAPTER FOURTEEN. GOING TO COURT, AND COURTING. When McShane awoke the next morning he tried to recall what had passed between him and Dimitri, and did not feel quite convinced that he had not trusted him too much. "I think," said he, "it was all upon an _if_. Yes, sure; _if_ O'Donahue was in love, and _if_ she was. Yes, I'm sure that it was all upon _ifs_. However, I must go and tell O'Donahue what has taken place."