and her bright black eyes were swimming with tears-fear and agitation having caused the former to fade, and grief and anxiety having filled the latter. She was too much agitated to await the tardy return of the waiter, whom she had despatched to the Count, and followed him

into the room.

The colour returned with double violence to her face and spread in deepest crimson over her brow as she said

"I'm sure you will pardon me, sir-I'm sure you will pity me-and indeed-indeed I implore your pardon and your pity-I would not for the world have applied to you, but I do not know a single soul in London-I do not indeed sir, and as I had spoken to you -oh dear! oh dear what shall I do?"

But what in the world is the matther with you," cried the Count.

I have been robbed, sir, robbed I suppose on the top of the coach-my pocket has been cut away-my purse and money-my pocket

book, and all John's letters are gone-oh dear!-oh dear! what shall I do-what shall I do!"

The Count was kept silent by the extremity of his surprise and indignation, but when he recovered his breath, he burst forth in a most unintelligible flood of native eloquencerounding off his periods with a heavy anathema against "the villainous brute baste who would rob a poor girl of a rap."

The waiters looked suspicious, and the slightest possible vibration of the eyelid on the part of the principal appeared like an incipient wink. Lucy Atherly wept bitterly.

"Well it don't signify talking," quoth the Count, "that won't mend what's past; but just let us see what can be done to make things better."

"I'm sure," sobbed Lucy-" I'm sure I would not have applied to you, sir, but I did not know where to seek advice or assistance. I hope you will not think it improper of me."

"Improper! oh by the man in the moon, I think it the properest thing that you could possibly do, and whatever I can do to sarve you, I'll do it in the twinkling of a sunbeam; but now tell me all about it-when did you miss your money? Oh the blackguard! wouldn't I knock him into smithereens, if I had hould of him-when did you miss your money, my darlint ?"

"Why you know, sir, I was in the cab going to the Maidstone coach, but I found I had lost my purse, and everything. My pocket has been cut off behind the coach."

The Count was the most generous of mortals; he was anything but a rich man, but he resolved to pay the poor girl's coach fare. "Bad luck to the blac uard that robbed

you,

" he cried "but niver mind that-I'll send you off by the coach, and see you safe into it."

“Oh, sir, you are exceedingly good, I shall never be able to repay your kindness."

"Well, don't talk about paying-that's always hard enough I know-there isn't a harder verb to conjugate in the whole vocabulary of the English language."

"I did not altogether mean money, sir-I am sure my father will settle that; but for your kindness and generosity, I shall always remain your debtor."

"Ah! then that's just the very thing. I should like amazingly to know how it feels to have debtors-as to the creditors-they're common enough in all conscience. But it don't signify talking, hook on to my arm, darlint, and we'll see afther this coach, and no more about it."

The

Lucy hesitated to take the arm of the titled foreigner, but it was offered in so frank and cordial a manner, that she could not refuse, and they quitted the room arm-in-arm. waiters, left at freedom by the absence of the parties, indulged in a little serious pantomime, which though it might be unintelligible to the

uninitiated, seemed perfectly understood by the freemasonry of waitercraft. The head waiter placed the point of his thumb on the tip of his nose, and extended his fingers therefrom, while the second waiter followed his digittal example, and moreover added his other hand to enhance the effect. Neither of them spoke, indeed their signals were so significant as to render speech entirely unnecessary, words are the signs of ideas, but actions are sometimes more expressive than words.