Lady Mabel's reluctance was not feigned; and when Mrs. Shortridge
called on L'Isle for assistance in overcoming it, he felt some
scruples at lending his aid. But her companion and friend was about to
leave her; it was painful to refuse her a favor on which she plainly
laid great stress. Friendship and flattery at length prevailed, and
Lady Mabel promised to do her utmost to charm the ears of the natives,
on condition that L'Isle should be at hand as her interpreter, and say
to them for her a dozen polite and half as many witty things for every
song she sang, in order that these foreigners might not mistake her
for a mere singer.

L'Isle pledged himself to be at her beck throughout the evening, and
to furnish wit and politeness without stint. This obstacle overcome,
Mrs. Shortridge was delighted, and talked gaily of her arrangements
and anticipations for the appointed night. L'Isle entering into her
humor, busied himself in drawing out a programme for Lady Mabel's
performance, and after turning over all the music at hand, made a list
of songs long enough to have cracked her voice forever. It was late
when he suddenly remembered that he had occasion to see Lord
Strathern, and he tore himself away to seek him.

L'Isle found his lordship in the business room of his quarters, and
quite at leisure, although seated by a table on which lay sundry
papers in no business like order. Most of them were despatches,
returns and other military documents. But among them was a goodly pile
of communications from the _Juiz de fora_ of more than one neighboring
_comarca_, written in eloquent but denunciatory Portuguese, being, in
truth, philippics aimed at sundry individuals or parties, belonging to
his command.