scandal.

"The insult you have offered to that officer, Mr. Landlord, will cost you
very dear."

His only answer is to laugh in my face. Highly enraged at seeing such a
scoundrel laugh at me, I take up the officer's quarrel warmly, and asked
him to entrust his passport to me for a few minutes.

"I have two," he says; "therefore I can let you have one." And taking the
document out of his pocket-book, he hands it to me. The passport was
signed by Cardinal Albani. The officer was a captain in a Hungarian
regiment belonging to the empress and queen. He was from Rome, on his way
to Parma with dispatches from Cardinal Albani Alexander to M. Dutillot,
prime minister of the Infante of Parma.

At the same moment, a man burst into the room, speaking very loudly, and
asked me to tell the officer that the affair must be settled at once,
because he wanted to leave Cesena immediately.

"Who are you?" I asked the man.

He answered that he was the 'vetturino' whom the captain had engaged. I
saw that it was a regular put-up thing, and begged the captain to let me
attend to the business, assuring him that I would settle it to his honour
and advantage.

"Do exactly as you please," he said.

Then turning towards the 'vetturino', I ordered him to bring up the