young people, congratulated himself that here, at least, there were
no perils of that description. He asked how long the attachment had
existed.

'From the moment of first sight,' said Louis; 'the fine spark was
lighted on the Euston Square platform; and it was not much later
with her. He filled up her beau ideal of goodness--'

'And, in effect, all Lady Conway's pursuit of you threw them
together,' said Lord Ormersfield, much entertained.

'Lady Conway has been their very best friend, without intending it.
It would not have come to a crisis by this time, if she had not taken
me to Paris. It would have been a pity if the catastrophe of the
barricades had been all for nothing.'

Lord Ormersfield and Mary here broke out in amazement at themselves,
for having hitherto been oblivious of the intelligence that had
greeted them on their first arrival, when Frampton had informed them
of Lord Fitzjocelyn's wound and gallant conduct, and his father had
listened to the story like the fastening of a rivet in Miss Conway's
chains, and Mary with a flush of unselfish pride that Isabel had been
taught to value her hero. They both claimed the true and detailed
account, as if they had hitherto been defrauded of it, and insisted
on hearing what had happened to him.

'I dare say you know best,' said Louis, lazily. 'I have heard so
many different accounts of late, that I really am beginning to forget
which is the right one, and rather incline to the belief that
Delaford brought a rescue or two with his revolver, and carried us