"Somewhat," said I. "A banker generally is interested in a debt."

"I thought so," said the colonel. "A time may come when we can act
together. Meanwhile, keep your eye on the debt. Good-night!"

We parted at the door of his chambers in the Piazza, and I went on to
my lodgings.

As I got into bed, rather puzzled and very uneasy, I damned the debt.
Then, remembering that the debt was, as it seemed, for some reason a
common interest to the signorina and myself, I apologized to it, and
fell asleep.




CHAPTER V.

I APPRECIATE THE SITUATION.


The flight of time brought no alleviation to the troubles of
Aureataland. If an individual hard up is a pathetic sight, a nation
hard up is an alarming spectacle; and Aureataland was very hard up.
I suppose somebody had some money. But the Government had none; in
consequence the Government employees had none, the officials had
none, the President had none, and finally, I had none. The bank had a
little--of other people's, of course--but I was quite prepared for
a "run" on us any day, and had cabled to the directors to implore a