'Well, the loss is yours. Tom's a fine fellow in his way; and if you could get him to tell you his story—or rather one of his stories, for his life is a succession of them—perhaps you would find that this same theory of yours has some foundation. Well pick him up one of these days, and I'll introduce you. But now, Jack, I have a piece of news for you. What do you think of it, my lad?—Lady Charlotte Hinton 's at Paris.'
'My mother here? Is it possible?'
'Yes. Her ladyship resides No. 4 Place Vendôme, opposite the Hôtel de Londres. There's accuracy for you.'
'And who is with her? My father?'
'No. The General is expected in a few days. Lady Julia, I believe, is her only companion.'
There was a kind of reserve suddenly in O'Grady's manner as he mentioned this name, which made us both pause for a few seconds. At length he broke the awkwardness of the silence by saying, in his usual laughing way—
'I contrived to pick up all the gossip of Paris in half an hour. The town is full of English—and such English too! The Cossacks are civilised people, of quiet, retiring habits, compared to them. I verily believe the French are more frightened by our conviviality than ever they were by the bayonets of the Allies. I'm dying to hear your lady-mother's account of everything here.'
'What say you, then, if you come along with me? I 'm becoming very impatient to see my people once more. Julia will, I 'm certain, be very amusing.'
'Ah, and I have a debt of gratitude in that quarter,' said O'Grady hesitatingly. 'Lady Julia was so very kind as to extend her protection to that old villain Corny. I cannot for the life of me understand how she endured him.'
'As to that,' said I, 'Julia has a taste for character; and not even the Chevalier Delany's eccentricity would pain her. So let's forward.'