moustache in the hall of the schloss as the Count von Lebenstein on his own representation. He held our cards in his hands when he came in; and the servant had _not_ given them to him, but to the genuine Count. That was the one unsolved mystery in the whole adventure. By the evening's post two letters arrived for us at Sir Charles's house: one for myself, and one for my employer. Sir Charles's ran thus:-- "HIGH WELL-BORN INCOMPETENCE,-- "I only just pulled through! A very small slip nearly lost me everything. I believed you were going to Schloss Planta that day, not to Schloss Lebenstein. You changed your mind en route. That might have spoiled all. Happily I perceived it, rode up by the short cut, and arrived somewhat hurriedly and hotly at the gate before you. Then I introduced myself. I had one more bad moment when the rival claimant to my name and title intruded into the room. But fortune favours the brave: your utter ignorance of German saved me. The rest was pap. It went by itself almost. "Allow me, now, as some small return for your various welcome cheques, to offer you a useful and valuable present--a German dictionary, grammar, and phrase-book! "I kiss your hand. "No longer "VON LEBENSTEIN." The other note was to me. It was as follows:-- "DEAR GOOD MR. VENTVORTH,-- "Ha, ha, ha; just a W misplaced sufficed to take you in, then! And I risked the TH, though anybody with a head on his shoulders would surely have known our TH is by far more difficult than our W for foreigners! However, all's well that ends well; and now I've got you. The Lord has delivered you into my hands, dear friend--on your own initiative. I hold my cheque, endorsed by you, and cashed at my banker's, as a hostage, so to speak, for your future good behaviour. If ever you recognise me, and betray me to that solemn old ass, your employer, remember, I expose it, and you with it to him. So now we understand each other. I had not thought of this little dodge; it was you who suggested it. However, I jumped at it. Was it not well