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But, confound my stupid head! where are Charles de Haldimar and Sir Everard Valletort?" "Poor Charles is in a high fever, and confined to his bed," remarked Captain Blessington, who now came up adding his congratulations in a low tone, that marked the despondency of his heart; "and Sir Everard I have just left on the rampart with the company, looking, as he well may, the very image of despair."
"And Delme for the lieutenancy," said Charles de Haldimar significantly. "Well, Murphy, I am happy to find that you, at least, have hit on another than Sir Everard Valletort: one, in fact, who will render the promotion more general than it would otherwise have been.
"At the corner of Center Street and Grand," said Steingall indifferently. He was about to add the unpleasing fact unpleasing to Lord Valletort, that is that the man on duty at the Detective Bureau would certainly refer an inquirer to him, Steingall, when the clerk reappeared.
He observed it, and instantly resumed his habitual sternness of look and manner. The governor fixed his penetrating eyes on the speaker, as if he would have read his inmost mind; and then calmly, and even impressively, observed, "Sir Everard Valletort, I do overlook the offence, and hope you may as easily forgive yourself.
"But if your sister should have decided differently, Charles," he at length remarked, as he gently quitted the embrace of his friend: "who knows if her heart may not already throb for another; and even if not, it is possible she may judge me far less flatteringly than you do." "Valletort, your fears are groundless.
"Do you imagine, Sir Everard Valletort, the aim of your rifle was true that you hit him?" This question was asked so hurriedly, and in a tone so different from that in which he had hitherto spoken, that the officers around simultaneously raised their eyes to those of their colonel with an expression of undissembled surprise.
The Earl of Valletort has degenerated into little better than a company-promoter, and he had made his own compact with Vassilan. Add to these certain facts one other Elizabeth Zapolya, whom Lady Hermione knows, married an attaché in the Austrian Embassy in Paris last week. Tell her that. She will be interested. For the rest, you must deduce your own theories." Curtis remained silent for a moment.
Alas, what a gloomy picture was now exhibited to the minds of all! Frederick de Haldimar a corpse, and slain by the hand of Sir Everard Valletort!
At any rate, their thoughts were soon distracted by the entrance of the stout lawyer. "On some occasions, the fewest words are the most satisfactory," he said, "so I wish to inform you, Mr. Steingall, that Lord Valletort and Count Vassilan intend to sail for Europe by to-morrow's steamer.
If Count Vassilan was of the bovine order, the Earl of Valletort savored of the tiger. He contrived to smile, however, and the effort to figure wholly as a disconsolate parent cost him far more than he dreamed, since he examined neither the actual certificate nor the register, though both would have been submitted to his scrutiny by the bewildered Mr. Hughes. "Thank you," he said.
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