2s. 9d., 5s. 7d., and 11s. 6d.,--of which she quickly poured out half
a tumbler, and raised it to the quivering lips of the staggering old
nobleman by her side. "How foolish of me not to have thought of this
before!" she continued, replenishing the glass, which he emptied in
feverish haste.

"I save threepence-halfpenny in a sovereign," he went on, a
wicked twinkle kindling in his eye as he spoke, "by taking the
eleven-and-sixpenny size--and that _is_ a consideration, my dear. If
you don't think so now, with all your young life before you, you will
when you come to be my age!"

[Illustration]

He sank back in his arm-chair as he spoke, apparently about to deliver
himself to the calm delights of a retrospective _rêverie_. But he was
not destined to enjoy it. At that moment a whiff of stifling smoke,
quite choking in its intensity, forced itself under the door. In
another moment the matter was soon explained. With a wild rush the
butler burst into the room.

"Fly, your Grace, for your life!" he cried; "the place is on fire!"

A blaze of flame that followed the terrified menial into the room,
only too truly corroborated his statement. In a another moment the
fire had seized hold of the new furniture, and in greedy fury, as
if it were some demon spirit, licked the walls with great tongues of
flame.

"In the cupboard, my dear," said the Duke, the proud blood of his