And so you see here we are all at sixes and sevens once more. Apparently as near the end of the story, as when I wrote the adventures of Alured Ravenshoe at the court of Henry the Eighth in the very first chapter. If Charles had had a little of that worthy’s impudence, instead of being the shy, sensitive fellow he was, why, the story would have been over long ago. In point of fact, I don’t know that it would ever have been written at all. So it is best as it is for all parties.

Although Charles had enlisted in Hornby’s own regiment, he had craftily calculated that there was not the slightest chance of Hornby’s finding it out for some time. Hornby’s troop was at the Regent’s Park. The headquarters were at Windsor, and the only officer likely to recognise him was Hornby’s captain. And so he went to work at his new duties with an easy mind, rather amused than otherwise, and wondering where and when it would all end.

From sheer unadulterated ignorance, I cannot follow him during the first week or so of his career. I have a suspicion, almost amounting to certainty, that, if I could, I should not. I do not believe that the readers of Ravenshoe would care to hear about sword-exercise, riding-school, stablegnard, and so on. I can, however, tell you thus much, that Charles learnt his duties in a wonderfully short space of time, and was a great favourite with high and low.

When William went to see Adelaide by appointment the morning after his interview with her, he had an interview with Lord Welter, who told him, in answer to his inquiries, that Charles was groom to Lieutenant Hornby.

“I promised that I would say nothing about it,” he continued; “but I think I ought: and Lady Welter has been persuading me to do so, if any inquiries were made, only this morning. I am deuced glad, Ravenshoe, that none of you have forgotten him. It would be a great shame if you had. He is a good fellow, and has been infernally used by some of us — by me, for instance.”

William, in his gladness, said, “Never mind, my lord; let bygones be bygones. We shall all be to one another as we were before, please God. I have found Charles, at all events; so there is no gap in the old circle, except my father’s. I had a message for Lady Welter.”

“She is not down; she is really not well this morning, or she could have seen you.”

“It is only this. Lady Ascot begs that she will come over to lunch. My aunt wished she would have stopped longer last night.”

“Your aunt?”

“My aunt. Lady Ascot.”

“Ah! I beg pardon; 1 am not quite used to the new state of affairs. Was Lady Welter with Lady Ascot last night?”

William was obliged to say yes, but felt as if he had committed an indiscretion by having said anything about it.

“The deuce she was!” said Lord Welter. “I thought she was somewhere else. Tell my father that I will come and see him today, if he don’t think it would be too much for him.”

“All, Lord Welter 1 you would have come before, if you had known — ”

“I know, I know. You must know that I had my reasons for not coming. Well, I hope that you and I will be better acquainted in our new positions; we were intimate enough in our old.”

When William was gone. Lord Welter went up to his wife’s dressing-room, and said —

“Lady Welter, you are a jewel. If yo............