ho!"

I had seldom heard a more grating or disagreeable laugh.

"I did nothing of the sort," I answered, tartly. "I simply undertook to
see her safely through the first stage of her journey."

"And you will have the pleasure of seeing her back, I imagine; for as
for my rascal of a boy, I mean to take him off home with me as soon as
he arrives; and I can assure you that I have no intention of providing
myself with a daughter-in-law in the course of the day."

I began to feel not a little alarmed. "You cannot have the brutality
to leave me here with a young woman whom I am scarcely so much as
acquainted with on my hands!" I ejaculated, half involuntarily. "What in
the world should I do?"

The old gentleman gave vent to a malevolent chuckle. "Upon my word,
sir," said he, "I can only see one course open to you as a man of
honour. You must marry her yourself."

At this I fairly lost all patience, and gave the Graf my opinion of his
conduct in terms the plainness of which left nothing to be desired.
I included him, his son, and the entire German people in one sweeping
anathema. No Englishman, I said, would have been capable of either
insulting an innocent lady, or of so basely leaving in the lurch one
whose only fault had been a too great readiness to sacrifice his own
convenience to the interests of others. My indignation lent me a flow
of words such as I should never have been able to command in calmer
moments; and I dare say I should have continued in the same strain for