business with Don Roderigo. Men of our station must attend to the
affairs of the state, no matter by whom transacted."

"That is, you must crawl on your knees to ask for pensions and
governorships, and transact the affairs of the state by putting your
hands into its coffers."

"Senor!" growled Don Felix, angrily, as his hand played with his
sword-belt.

"Tush!" said the young man, scornfully turning on his heel.

The folding-doors were thrown open, and all conversation ceased at the
entrance of Don Roderigo Calderon.

This remarkable personage had risen from the situation of a confidential
scribe to the Duke of Lerma to the nominal rank of secretary to the King
--to the real station of autocrat of Spain. The birth of the favourite
of fortune was exceedingly obscure. He had long affected to conceal it;
but when he found curiosity had proceeded into serious investigation of
his origin, he had suddenly appeared to make a virtue of necessity;
proclaimed of his own accord that his father was a common soldier of
Valladolid, and even invited to Madrid, and lodged in his own palace, his
low-born progenitor. This prudent frankness disarmed malevolence on the
score of birth. But when the old soldier died, rumours went abroad that
he had confessed on his death-bed that he was not in any way related to
Calderon; that he had submitted to an imposture which secured to his old
age so respectable and luxurious an asylum; and that he knew not for what
end Calderon had forced upon him the honours of spurious parentship.
This tale, which, ridiculed by most, was yet believed by some, gave rise