Lady Mabel’s reluctance was not feigned; and when Mrs. Shortridge called on L’Isle for assistance in overcoming it, he felt some scruples at lending his aid.  But her companion and friend was about to leave her; it was painful to refuse her a favor on which she plainly laid great stress.  Friendship and flattery at length prevailed, and Lady Mabel promised to do her utmost to charm the ears of the natives, on condition that L’Isle should be at hand as her interpreter, and say to them for her a dozen polite and half as many witty things for every song she sang, in order that these foreigners might not mistake her for a mere singer.

L’Isle pledged himself to be at her beck throughout the evening, and to furnish wit and politeness without stint.  This obstacle overcome, Mrs. Shortridge was delighted, and talked gaily of her arrangements and anticipations for the appointed night.  L’Isle entering into her humor, busied himself in drawing out a programme for Lady Mabel’s performance, and after turning over all the music at hand, made a list of songs long enough to have cracked her voice forever.  It was late when he suddenly remembered that he had occasion to see Lord Strathern, and he tore himself away to seek him.

L’Isle found his lordship in the business room of his quarters, and quite at leisure, although seated by a table on which lay sundry papers in no business like order.  Most of them were despatches, returns and other military documents.  But among them was a goodly pile of communications from the Juiz de fora of more than one neighboring comarca, written in eloquent but denunciatory Portuguese, being, in truth, philippics aimed at sundry individuals or parties, belonging to his command.

The old soldier had not treated them with absolute neglect.  After having the first two or three duly translated to him, and making himself familiar with the tenor of this kind of document, he had prepared a concise form of reply:  regretting that any of his Majesty’s soldiers should be guilty of any act of violence, depredation or impropriety in the country of their friends and allies, and proposing that the accusers should come forward and prove the charges before a court-martial, according to British laws.  A copy of this stereotyped answer, turned into good Portuguese, was always at hand to be dispatched in reply to each new complaint, as soon as it reached headquarters.  Thus the correspondence cost little trouble there, for Lord Strathern had an easy-going philosophy, which, like an ambling pad, carried him smoothly over the rough and intricate path of diplomacy, policy, and military exigencies.  He knew it was impossible to give perfect satisfaction to the Portuguese, and unlike his commander, he eschewed all such attempts to make ropes out of sea-sand.

L’Isle’s entrance roused Lord Strathern from a pleasant reverie over his cigar.

“Why, L’Isle! are you back again?  You certainly have the gift of appearing just when you are wanted.  Is not that the case with a character called Mephistophiles?”