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ladyship, in a despairing voice, "you have been at the very hub of the world, surrounded by Emperors and Statesmen, and you ask me what I would have you tell me!"
    "Oh, I can tell you a deal about the Emperors," offered the Colonel. "Alexander, now, is - let us say - a trifle difficult."
    He was interrupted. "Tell me immediately what you have been doing!" commanded Judith. "Dancing," he replied.
    "Dancing!"
    "And dining."
    "You are most provoking. Are you pledged to secrecy? If so, of course I won't ask you any awkward questions."
    "Not in the least," said the Colonel cheerfully. "Life —Vienna was one long ball. I have been devoting a neat part of my time to the quadrille. L'Ete, la Poule, : grande ronde - I have all the steps, I assure you."
    "You must be a very odd sort of an aide-de-camp!" I:le remarked. "Does not the Duke object?"
    "Object?" said the Colonel. "Of course not! He likes William Lennox would tell you that the excellence of pas de zephyr is the only thing that has more than once saved him from reprimand."
    "But seriously, Charles -?"
    "On my honour!"
    She was quite dumbfounded by this unexpected light cast upon the proceedings at Vienna, but before she could express her astonishment her husband came into the room, and the subject was forgotten in the greeting between the brothers, and the exchange of questions.
    "You have been travelling fast," the Earl said, as he presently took his seat at the table. "Stuart spoke of the Duke's still being in Vienna only the other day."
    "Yes, shockingly fast. We even had to stop for lard to grease the wheels. But with such a shriek going up for the Beau from here, what did you expect?" said the Colonel, with a twinkle. "Anyone would imagine Boney to be only a day's march off from the noise you have been making."
    The Earl smiled, but merely said: "Are you rejoining the Regiment, or do you remain on the Staff?"
    "Oh, all of us old hands remain, except perhaps March, who will probably stay with the Prince of Orange. Lennox goes back to his regiment, of course. He is only a youngster, and the Beau wants his old officers with him. What about my horses, Worth? You had my letter?"
    "Yes, and wrote immediately to England. Jackson has procured you three good hunters, and there is a bay mare I bought for you last week."
    "Good!" said the Colonel. "I shall probably get forage allowance for four horses. Tell me how you have been going on here! Who's this fellow, Hudson Lowe, who knows all there is to be known about handling armies?"
    "Oh, you've seen him already, have you? I suppose Vou know he is your Quartermaster-General? Whether he will deal with the Duke is a question yet to be decided."
    "My dear fellow, it was decided within five minutes of his presenting himself this morning," said the Colonel, passing his cup and saucer to Lady Worth. "I left him instructing the Beau, and talking about his experience. Old Hookey was stiff as a poker, and glaring at him, with one of his crashing snubs just ripe to be delivered. I slipped away. Fremantle's on duty, poor devil."
    "Crashing snubs? Is the Duke a bad-tempered man?" enquired Judith. "That must be a sad blow to us all."
    "Oh no, I wouldn't call him bad-tempered!" replied the Colonel. "He gets peevish, you know - a trifle crusty, when things don't go just as he wishes. I wish they may get Murray back from America in time to take this fellow Lowe's place: we can't have him putting old hookey out every day of the week: comes too hard on the wretched staff."
    Judith gave him back his cup and saucer. "But, Charles, this is shocking! You depict a cross, querulous person, and we have been expecting a demi-god."
    "Demi-god! Well, so he is, the instant he goes into action," said the Colonel. He drank his coffee, and said, 'Who is here, Worth? Any troops arrived yet from England?"
    "Very few. We have really only the remains of Graham's detachment still, the same that Orange has had under his command the whole winter. There are the 1st Guards,