'No, no! Monsieur de Roni, if you please,' said he, again breaking out into a fit of laughing. 'Lord help you, man, I've been christened since I came abroad. Let me present you to my friends.' Here Paul poked a tall Cossack in the ribs to attract his attention, and then pointing to me, said: 'This is Captain Hinton; his name's a poser—a cross between chincough and a house-key. Eh, old fellow?'
A Tartar grin was the reply to this very intelligible speech; but a bumper of champagne made everything comprehensible between them. Mr. Rooney's hilarity soon showed me that he had not forgotten his native habits, and was steadily bent upon drinking glass for glass with his company, even though they only came in detachments. With Bashkir chiefs, Pomeranian barons, Rhine graaf s, and Polish counts he seemed as intimate as though he had passed as much of his time in the Caucasus as the Four Courts, and was as familiar with the banks of the Don as ever he had been with those of the Dodder.
'And is it really our old friend Mrs. Paul who entertains this host of czars and princes?'
'Is it really only now that you've guessed it?' said O'Grady, as he carried me away with him through the salon. 'But I see Lady Charlotte is amongst her friends, and your cousin is dancing; so now let's make the most of our time. I say, Jack, your lady-mother scarcely supposes that her host is the same person she once called on for his bill. By Jove, what a discovery it would be to her! and the little girl she had such a horror of is now the belle of Paris. You remember Louisa Bellew, don't you? Seven thousand a year, my boy, and beauty worth double the money. But there she is, and how handsome!'
As he spoke, a lady passed us leaning on her partner's arm, her head turned slightly over her shoulder. I caught but one glance, and as I did so, the rushing torrent of blood that mounted to my face made my very brain grow dizzy. I knew not where I stood. I sprang forward to speak to her, and then became rooted to the ground. It was she, indeed, as beautiful as ever; her pale face wore the very look I had last seen the night I saved her from the flood.
'Did you observe her companion?' said O'Grady, who fortunately had not noticed my confusion. 'It was De Vere. I knew he was here; and I suspect I see his plans.'
'De Vere!' said I, starting. 'De Vere with Miss Bellew! Are you certain?'
'Quite certain; I seldom mistake a face, and his I can't forget. But here's Guillemain. I'll join you in a moment.'
So saying, O'Grady left my side, and I saw him take the arm of a small man in black, who was standing at a doorway. The rush of sensations that crowded on me as I stood there alone made me forget the time, and I knew not that O'Grady had been above half an hour away when he again came to my side.
'How the plot thickens, Hinton!' said he, in a low whisper. 'Only think, the villain Burke has actually made the hand and fortune of that lovely girl the price of obtaining secret information from De Vere of the proceedings of the British embassy. Guillemain did not confess this to me; but he spoke in such a way, that, with my knowledge of all the parties, I made out the clue.'