natures who loves to be free to commune
with his own heart in the silence of a calm
night." He looked like this, and perhaps—who
knows if he were not nearer it than we wot of.

    It was nigh daybreak before he lay down to
sleep. Nor had he been fully an hour in slumber
when he was awoke, and found Barnard, dressed
in a morning gown and slippers, standing beside
his bed.

"I say, Calvert, rub your eyes and listen to
me. Are you awake ?"

"Not very perfectly ; but quite enough for
anything you can have to say. What is it ?"

"I am so fretted about that money."

"Why, you told me that last night," said
Calvert, addressing himself, as it were, again to
sleep.

"Oh, it's all very fine and very philosophic to
be indifferent about another man's 'tin;' but I
tell you I don't know what to do, what to say,
about it. I'm not six weeks married, and it's
rather early to come to rows and altercations
with a father-in-law."

"Address him to me. Say, 'Go to Calvert—
he'll talk to you.' Do that, like a good fellow,
and go to bed. Good night."

"I'll not stand this sort of thing, Calvert.
I'm not going to lose my money and be laughed
at too !"

"You'll not stand what ?" cried Calvert, sitting
up in bed, and looking now thoroughly awake.

"I mean," said the other, doggedly, " you
have got me into a confounded scrape, and you
are bound to get me out of it."

"That is speaking like a man of sense. It is
what I intend to do; but can't we sleep over it
first. I want what the old ladies call my 'natural
rest.' "

"There's no time for that. The old governor
is always pottering about by six o'clock, and it's
just as likely, as the landlord talks English, he'll
be down by way of gossiping with him, and ask
if the bill is settled."

"What an old beast he must be. I wonder
you could have married into such a vulgar set."

"If you have nothing to say but abuse of my
connexions, I am not going to waste any more
time here."

"There, that's a dear fellow ; go to bed now,
and call me somewhere towards four in the
afternoon."

"This is rather more than a joke."

" To be sure it is, man; it is dead sleepiness.
Good night."

" I see you have found your purse—how much
had you in it?"

"Count it, if you're curious," said Calvert,
drowsily.

"Fifty-four Napoleons and a half," said the
other, slowly. " Look ye, Calvert, I'm going to
impound this. It's a sorry instalment, but, as
far as it goes—— "

"Take it, old fellow, and leave me quiet."

"One word more, Calvert," said Barnard,
seriously. " I cannot muster courage to meet
old Rep this morning, and if you like to start at
once and settle this affair you have in
Switzerland, I'm ready; but it must be done
instanter."

"All right ; I shall be ready within an hour.
Tell the porter to send my bath up at once, and
order coffee by the time you'll be dressed."

   There was very little trace of sleep about
Calvert's face now, as, springing from his bed,
he prepared for the road. With such despatch,
indeed, did he proceed, that he was already in the
coffee-room before his friend had descended.

"Shall we say anything to the landlord before
we start, Calvert," whispered he.

"Of course; send Signor Angelo, or Antonio,
or whatever his name, here. The padrone, I
mean," said he to the waiter.

"He is called Luigi Filippo, sir," said the
man, indignantly.

"A capital name for a rogue. Let us have
him here."

A very burly consequential sort of man,
marvellously got up as to beard, moustaches,
and watch-chain, entered and bowed.

"Signor Luigi Filippo," said Calvert, " my
friend here—the son of that immensely wealthy
mi Lordo up-stairs—is in a bit of a scraps; he
had an altercation last night with a fellow we
take to be an Austrian spy."

The host spat out, and frowned ferociously.

"Just so; a dog of a Croat, I suspect," went
on Calvert; " at all events, he must put a bullet
in him, and to do so, must get over the frontier
beyond Como; we want, therefore, a little
money from you, and your secresy, till this blows
over."

The host bowed, and pursed up his lips like
one who would like a little time for reflection,
and at last said, " How much money, signor?"

"What do you say, Bob; will a hundred
Naps do, or eighty ?"

"Fifty ; fifty are quite enough," cried Barnard.

"On a circular note, of course, signor ?"
asked the host.

"No, a draft at six days on my friend's father;
mi Lordo means to pass a month here."

"I don't think I'll do that, Calvert," whispered
Barnard; but the other stopped him at
once, with, " Be quiet ; leave this to me."

"Though payable at sight, Signor Luigi, we
shall ask you to hold it over for five or six days,
because we hope possibly to be back here before
Saturday, and if so, we'll settle this ourselves."

"It shall be done, gentlemen," said the host.
" I'll go and draw out the bills, and you shall
have the money immediately."

"How I touched the fellow's patriotism, Bob.
It was the Austrian dodge stood us in stead,
there. I know that I have jeopardised your
esteem for me by the loss of that money last
night ; but do confess that this was a clever hit
of mine."

"It's a bad business from beginning to end!"
was, however, all that he could obtain from
Barnard.

"Narrow-minded dog ! he won't see any
genius in the man that owes him five shillings."

"I wish it was only five shillings."