the　Colonel；　of　how　he　would　have　enjoyed　this　snug　room　and
  roaring　fire；　and　of　his　cold　grave　in　the　wood　by　Market　Bosworth；
  lingered　on　my　palate；　AMARI　ALIQUID；　like　an　after…taste；　but　was
  not　able　…　I　say　it　with　shame　…　entirely　to　dispel　my　self…
  complacency。　　After　all；　in　this　world　every　dog　hangs　by　its　own
  tail。　　I　was　a　free　adventurer；　who　had　just　brought　to　a
  successful　end　…　or；　at　least；　within　view　of　it　…　an　adventure
  very　difficult　and　alarming；　and　I　looked　across　at　Mr。　Dudgeon；　as
  the　port　rose　to　his　cheeks；　and　a　smile；　that　was　semi…
  confidential　and　a　trifle　foolish；　began　to　play　upon　his　leathery
  features；　not　only　with　composure；　but　with　a　suspicion　of
  kindness。　　The　rascal　had　been　brave；　a　quality　for　which　I　would
  value　the　devil；　and　if　he　had　been　pertinacious　in　the　beginning；
  he　had　more　than　made　up　for　it　before　the　end。
  'And　now；　Dudgeon；　to　explain；'　I　began。　　'I　know　your　master；　he
  knows　me；　and　he　knows　and　approves　of　my　errand。　　So　much　I　may
  tell　you；　that　I　am　on　my　way　to　Amersham　Place。'
  'Oho！'　quoth　Dudgeon；　'I　begin　to　see。'
  'I　am　heartily　glad　of　it；'　said　I；　passing　the　bottle；　'because
  that　is　about　all　I　can　tell　you。　　You　must　take　my　word　for　the
  remainder。　　Either　believe　me　or　don't。　　If　you　don't；　let's　take　a
  chaise；　you　can　carry　me　to…morrow　to　High　Holborn；　and　confront　me
  with　Mr。　Romaine；　the　result　of　which　will　be　to　set　your　mind　at
  rest　…　and　to　make　the　holiest　disorder　in　your　master's　plans。　　If
  I　judge　you　aright　（for　I　find　you　a　shrewd　fellow）；　this　will　not
  be　at　all　to　your　mind。　　You　know　what　a　subordinate　gets　by
  officiousness；　if　I　can　trust　my　memory；　old　Romaine　has　not　at　all
  the　face　that　I　should　care　to　see　in　anger；　and　I　venture　to
  predict　surprising　results　upon　your　weekly　salary　…　if　you　are
  paid　by　the　week；　that　is。　　In　short；　let　me　go　free；　and　'tis　an
  end　of　the　matter；　take　me　to　London；　and　'tis　only　a　beginning　…
  and；　by　my　opinion；　a　beginning　of　troubles。　　You　can　take　your
  choice。'
  'And　that　is　soon　taken；'　said　he。　　'Go　to　Amersham　tomorrow；　or　go
  to　the　devil　if　you　prefer　…　I　wash　my　hands　of　you　and　the　whole
  transaction。　　No；　you　don't　find　me　putting　my　head　in　between
  Romaine　and　a　client！　　A　good　man　of　business；　sir；　but　hard　as
  millstone　grit。　　I　might　get　the　sack；　and　I　shouldn't　wonder！
  But；　it's　a　pity；　too；'　he　added；　and　sighed；　shook　his　head；　and
  took　his　glass　off　sadly。
  'That　reminds　me；'　said　I。　　'I　have　a　great　curiosity；　and　you　can
  satisfy　it。　　Why　were　you　so　forward　to　meddle　with　poor　Mr。
  Dubois？　　Why　did　you　transfer　your　attentions　to　me？　　And
  generally；　what　induced　you　to　make　yourself　such　a　nuisance？'
  He　blushed　deeply。
  'Why；　sir；'　says　he；　'there　is　such　a　thing　as　patriotism；　I　hope。'
  CHAPTER　XVI　…　THE　HOME…COMING　OF　MR。　　ROWLEY'S　VISCOUNT
  BY　eight　the　next　morning　Dudgeon　and　I　had　made　our　parting。　　By
  that　time　we　had　grown　to　be　extremely　familiar；　and　I　would　very
  willingly　have　kept　him　by　me；　and　even　carried　him　to　Amersham
  Place。　　But　it　appeared　he　was　due　at　the　public…house　where　we　had
  met；　on　some　affairs　of　my　great…uncle　the　Count；　who　had　an
  outlying　estate　in　that　part　of　the　shire。　　If　Dudgeon　had　had　his
  way　the　night　before；　I　should　have　been　arrested　on　my　uncle's
  land　and　by　my　uncle's　agent；　a　culmination　of　ill…luck。
  A　little　after　noon　I　started；　in　a　hired　chaise；　by　way　of
  Dunstable。　　The　mere　mention　of　the　name　Amersham　Place　made　every
  one　supple　and　smiling。　　It　was　plainly　a　great　house；　and　my　uncle
  lived　there　in　style。　　The　fame　of　it　rose　as　we　approached；　like　a
  chain　of　mountains；　at　Bedford　they　touched　their　caps；　but　in
  Dunstable　they　crawled　upon　their　bellies。　　I　thought　the　landlady
  would　have　kissed　me；　such　a　flutter　of　cordiality；　such　smiles；
  such　affectionate　attentions　were　called　forth；　and　the　good　lady
  bustled　on　my　service　in　such　a　pother　of　ringlets　and　with　such　a
  jingling　of　keys。　　'You're　probably　expected；　sir；　at　the　Place？　　I
  do　trust　you　may　'ave　better　accounts　of　his　lordship's　'elth；　sir。
  We　understood　that　his　lordship；　Mosha　de　Carwell；　was　main　bad。
  Ha；　sir；　we　shall　all　feel　his　loss；　poor；　dear；　noble　gentleman；
  and　I'm　sure　nobody　more　polite！　　They　do　say；　sir；　his　wealth　is
  enormous；　and　before　the　Revolution；　quite　a　prince　in　his　own
  country！　　But　I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；　'ow　I　do　run　on；　to　be　sure；
  and　doubtless　all　beknown　to　you　already！　　For　you　do　resemble　the
  family；　sir。　　I　should　have　known　you　anywheres　by　the　likeness　to
  the　dear　viscount。　　Ha；　poor　gentleman；　he　must　'ave　a　'eavy　'eart
  these　days。'
  In　the　same　place　I　saw　out　of　the　inn…windows　a　man…servant
  passing　in　the　livery　of　my　house；　which　you　are　to　think　I　had
  never　before　seen　worn；　or　not　that　I　could　remember。　　I　had　often
  enough；　indeed；　pictured　myself　advanced　to　be　a　Marshal；　a　Duke　of
  the　Empire；　a　Grand　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honour；　and　some　other
  kickshaws　of　the　kind；　with　a　perfect　rout　of　flunkeys　correctly
  dressed　in　my　own　colours。　　But　it　is　one　thing　to　imagine；　and
  another　to　see；　it　would　be　one　thing　to　have　these　liveries　in　a
  house　of　my　own　in　Paris　…　it　was　quite　another　to　find　them
  flaunting　in　the　heart　of　hostile　England；　and　I　fear　I　should　have
  made　a　fool　of　myself；　if　the　man　had　not　been　on　the　other　side　of
  the　street；　and　I　at　a　one…pane　window。　　There　was　something
  illusory　in　this　transplantation　of　the　wealth　and　honours　of　a
  family；　a　thing　by　its　nature　so　deeply　rooted　in　the　soil；
  something　ghostly　in　this　sense　of　home…coming　so　far　from　home。
  From　Dunstable　I　rolled　away　into　a　crescendo　of　similar
  impressions。　　There　are　certainly　few　things　to　be　compared　with
  these　castles；　or　rather　country　seats；　of　the　English　nobility　and
  gentry；　nor　anything　at　all　to　equal　the　servility　of　the
  population　that　dwells　in　their　neighbourhood。　　Though　I　was　but
  driving　in　a　hired　chaise；　word　of　my　destination　seemed　to　have
  gone　abroad；　and　the　women　curtseyed　and　the　men　louted　to　me　by
  the　wayside。　　As　I　came　near；　I　began　to　appreciate　the　roots　of
  this　widespread　respect。　　The　look　of　my　uncle's　park　wall；　even
  from　the　outside；　had　something　of　a　princely　character；　and　when　I
  came　in　view　of　the　house　itself；　a　sort　of　madness　of　vicarious
  vain…glory　struck　me　dumb　and　kept　me　staring。　　It　was　about　the
  size　of　the　Tuileries。　　It　faced　due　north；　and　the　last　rays　of
  the　sun；　that　was　setting　like　a　red…hot　shot　amidst　a　tumultuous
  gathering　of　snow　clouds；　were　reflected　on　the　endless　rows　of
  windows。　　A　portico　of　Doric　columns　adorned　the　front；　and　would
  have　done　honour　to　a　temple。　　The　servant　who　received　me　at　the
  door　was　civil　to　a　fault　…　I　had　almost　said；　to　offence；　and　the
  hall　to　which　he　admitted　me　through　a　pair　of　glass　doors　was
  warmed　and　already　partly　lighted　by　a　liberal　chimney　heaped　with
  the　roots　of　beeches。
  'Vicomte　Anne　de　St。　Yves；'　said　I；　in　answer　to　the　man's
  question；　whereupon　he　bowed　before　me　lower　still；　and　stepping
  upon　one　side　introduced　me　to　the　truly　awful　presence　of　the
  major…domo。　　I　have　seen　many　dignitaries　in　my　time；　but　none　who
  quite　equalled　this　eminent　being；　who　was　good　enough　to　answer　to
  the　unassuming　name　of　Dawson。　　From　him　I　learned　that　my　uncle
  was　extremely　low；　a　doctor　in　close　attendance；　Mr。　Romaine
  expected　at　any　moment；　and　that　my　cousin；　the　Vicomte　de　St。
  Yves；　had　been　sent　for　the　same　morning。
  'It　was　a　sudden　seizure；　then？'　I　asked。
  Well；　he　would　scarcely　go　as　far　as　that。　　It　was　a　decline；　a
  fading　away；　sir；　but　he　was　certainly　took　bad　the　day　before；　had
  sent　for　Mr。　Romaine；　and　the　major…domo　had　taken　it　on　himself　a
  little　later　to　send　word　to　the　Viscount。　　'It　seemed　to　me；　my
  lord；'　said　he；　'as　if　this　was　a　time　when　all　the　fambly　should
  be　called　together。'
  I　approved　him　with　my　lips；　but　not　in　my　heart。　　Dawson　was
  plainly　in　the　interests　of　my　cousin。
  'And　when　can　I　expect　to　see　my　great…uncle；　the　Count？'　said　I。
  In　the　evening；　I　was　told；　in　the　meantime　he　would　show　me　to　my
  room；　which　had　been　long　prepared　for　me；　and　I　should　be　expected
  to　dine　in　about　an　hour　with　the　doctor；　if　my　lordship　had　no
  objections。
  My　lordship　had　not　the　faintest。
  'At　the　same　time；'　I　said；　'I　have　had　an　accident：　I　have
  unhappily　lost　my　baggage；　and　am　here　in　what　I　stand　in。　　I　don't
  know　if　the　doctor　be　a　formalist；　but　it　is　quite　impossible　I
  should　appear　at　table　as　I　ought。'
  He　begged　me　to　be　under　no　anxiety。　　'We　have　been　long　expecting
  you；'　said　he。　　'All　is　ready。'
  Such　I　found　to　be　the　truth。　　A　great　room　had　been　prepared　for
  me；　through　t