Tales and Novels, vol 8 | Page 8

are as common coin compared to a medal struck and appropriated for the occasion."
About this time Mr. Temple came to tell Alfred, that a ship had been actually ordered to be in readiness to carry him on his intended embassy; that Mr. Shaw had recovered; that Cunningham Falconer had no more excuses or pretences for delay; despatches, the last Lord Oldborough said he should ever receive from him as envoy, had now arrived, and Temple was to have set out immediately; but that the whole embassy bad been delayed, because Lord Oldborough had received a letter from Count Altenberg, giving an account of alarming revolutionary symptoms, which had appeared in the capital, and in the provinces, in the dominions of his sovereign, Lord Oldborough had shown Mr. Temple what related to public affairs, but had not put the whole letter into his hands. All that he could judge from what he read was, that the Count's mind was most seriously occupied with the dangerous state of public affairs in his country. "I should have thought," added Mr. Temple, "that the whole of this communication was entirely of a political nature, but that in the last page which Lord Oldborough put into my hand, the catch-words at the bottom were Countess Christina."
Alfred observed, "that, without the aid of Rosamond's imagination to supply something more, nothing could be made of this. However, it was a satisfaction to have had direct news of Count Altenberg."
The next day Mr. Temple came for Alfred. Lord Oldborough desired to see him.
"Whatever his business may be, I am sure it is important and interesting," said Mr. Temple; "by this time I ought to be well acquainted with Lord Oldborough--I know the signs of his suppressed emotion, and I have seldom seen him put such force upon himself to appear calm, and to do the business of the day, before he should yield his mind to what pressed on his secret thoughts."

CHAPTER XXXVII.
When Alfred arrived, Lord Oldborough was engaged with some gentlemen from the city about a loan. By the length of time which the negotiators stayed, they tried Alfred's patience; but the minister sat with immoveable composure, till they knew their own minds, and till they departed. Then, the loan at once dismissed from his thoughts, he was ready for Alfred.
"You have married, I think, Mr. Alfred Percy, since I saw you last--I congratulate you."
His lordship was not in the habit of noticing such common events; Alfred was surprised and obliged by the interest in his private affairs which this congratulation denoted.
"I congratulate you, sir, because I understand you have married a woman of sense. To marry a fool--to form or to have any connexion with a fool," continued his lordship, his countenance changing remarkably as he spoke, "I conceive to be the greatest evil, the greatest curse, that can be inflicted on a man of sense."
He walked across the room with long, firm, indignant strides--then stopping short, he exclaimed, "Lettres de cachet!--Dangerous instruments in bad hands!--As what are not?--But one good purpose they answered--they put it in the power of the head of every noble house to disown, and to deprive of the liberty to disgrace his family, any member who should manifest the will to commit desperate crime or desperate folly."
Alfred was by no means disposed to join in praise even of this use of a lettre de cachet, but he did not think it a proper time to argue the point, as he saw Lord Oldborough was under the influence of some strong passion. He waited in silence till his lordship should explain himself farther.
His lordship unlocked a desk, and produced a letter.
"Pray, Mr. Percy--Mr. Alfred Percy--have you heard any thing lately of the Marchioness of Twickenham?"
"No, my lord."
Alfred, at this instant, recollected the whisper which he had once heard at chapel, and he added, "Not of late, my lord."
"There," said Lord Oldborough, putting a letter into Alfred's hands--"there is the sum of what I have heard."
The letter was from the Duke of Greenwich, informing Lord Oldborough that an unfortunate discovery had been made of an affair between the Marchioness of Twickenham and a certain Captain Bellamy, which rendered an immediate separation necessary.
"So!" thought Alfred, "my brother Godfrey had a fine escape of this fair lady!"
"I have seen her once since I received that letter, and I never will see her again," said Lord Oldborough: "that's past--all that concerns her is past and irremediable. Now as to the future, and to what concerns myself. I have been informed--how truly, I cannot say--that some time ago a rumour, a suspicion of this intrigue was whispered in what they call the fashionable world."
"I believe that your lordship has been truly informed," said Alfred; and he then mentioned the whisper he had heard at the chapel.
"Ha!--Farther, it