“Bless you! Just now, I may say. Landed at Liverpool last night, slept at the Adelphi, took the train this morning and reached London this noon.”
“And where are you stopping?”
“At Mivart’s for the present. And before we got settled there, I took a Hansom cab and drove off to the American Embassy to inquire where you hung out. I saw a young fellow of the name of Troubador——”
“Tredegar,” amended Dick.
“Ah yes, thank you—so it was Tredegar. Well, I saw a young fellow of the name of Tredegar, who told me where to find you; and so I drove back to Mivart’s as fast as ever I could—and how those Hansom cabs can fly over the ground!—and I changed my Hansom for a four wheeler, and just giving Nan time to put on her finery, I took her and her mother in and drove here!” exclaimed the visitor, eagerly talking himself out of breath, and briskly wiping his face with his pocket-handkerchief.
“And we are all so charmed to see you. We never had a more complete surprise, or a more delightful one,” said Anna.
And all her party cordially assented to her words.
“I hope you did not have to wait for us long,” said Dick, anxiously.
“Two mortal hours, I tell you, at the risk of being turned out every minute, too.”
“How was that?” quickly inquired the General.