“Yes. Why, I thought you were aware of that, he has been long promising to pay us a visit, and at last, by great persuasion, we have succeeded in getting him across the sea, and, indeed, were it not that he was coming, we should have been in Florence before this.”
A gleam of hope shot through my heart as I said to myself, what can this visit mean? and the moment after I felt sick, almost to fainting, as I asked if “my cousin Guy were also expected.”
“Oh yes. We shall want him I should think” said Lord Callonby with a very peculiar smile.
I thought I should have fallen at these few words. Come, Harry, thought I, it is better to learn your fate at once. Now or never; death itself were preferable to this continued suspense. If the blow is to fall, it can scarcely sink me lower than I now feel: so reasoning, I laid my hand upon Lord Callonby’s arm, and with a face pale as death, and a voice all but inarticulate, said,
“My Lord, you will pardon, I am sure—”
“My dear Lorrequer,” said his lordship interrupting me, “for heaven’s sake sit down. How ill you are looking, we must nurse you, my poor fellow.”
I sank upon a bench—the light danced before my eyes—the clang of the music sounded like the roar of a waterfall, and I felt a cold perspiration burst over my face and forehead; at the same instant, I recognized Kilkee’s voice, and without well knowing why, or how, discovered myself in the open air.
“Come, you are better now,” said Kilkee, “and will be quite well when you get some supper, and a little of the tokay, his majesty has been good enough to send us.”
“His majesty desires to know if his excellency is better,” said an aide de camp.
I muttered my most grateful acknowledgments.