his priest, and all that rot, and they began to listen. At
first they wanted his Majesty to abdicate, and give the boy a
clear road to the crown, but of course I hushed that up. I
told them we were acting advisedly, that we had reason to know
that the common people of Messina were sick of the Republic,
and wanted their King; that Louis loved the common people like
a father; that he would re-establish the Church in all her
power, and that Father Paul was working day and night for us,
and that the Vatican was behind us. Then I dealt out
decorations and a few titles, which Louis has made smell so
confoundedly rank to Heaven that nobody would take them. It
was like a game. I played one noble gentleman against
another, and gave this one a portrait of the King one day, and
the other a miniature of `Exhibit A' the next and they grew
jealous, and met together, and talked it over, and finally
unlocked their pockets. They contributed about L9,000
between them. Then the enthusiasm spread to the women, and
they gave me their jewels, and a lot of youngsters volunteered
for the expedition, and six of them came on with me in the
train last night. I won two thousand francs from that boy
Cellini on the way down. They're all staying at the
Continental. I promised them an audience this morning."

"Good," commented the Colonel, "good--L9,000. I suppose you
took out your commission in advance?"

"I took out nothing," returned the other, angrily. "I brought
it all with me, and I have a letter from each of them stating
just what he or she subscribed toward the expedition,--the
Duke Dantiz, so much; the Duke D'Orvay, 50,000 francs; the