ke to carry it back to his Serene Highness.'

'As for me,' said Count Bjosterna, the Swedish minister, 'I serve a
master who never brooked an insult; and lest this should become such, I
'll take my leave.'

'Not so, messieurs,' cried O'Sullivan, stepping forward, and placing
himself in front of the door. 'You have come here to pay my master, the
king of England, certain marks of your respect. It is for him to choose
the time he will accept of them. By heaven! not a man of you shall leave
this till his good pleasure in that matter be known.'

'Well said, O'Sullivan!' said General Upton, grasping the old man's
hand; while MacNiel and some other chieftains pushed forward and ranged
themselves before the door in solemn silence.

'Nay, nay, gentlemen,' interposed the cardinal-secretary, Gualtieri--a
man whose venerable appearance commanded universal respect; 'this would
be most unseemly on every hand. We are all here animated by one feeling
of sincere deference and attachment to a great prince. There may be good
and sufficient reasons why he has not received our homage. It would ill
become us to inquire into these. Not enough for us that our intentions
are those of respectful duty; we must mark, by our conduct, that we
appreciate the rank of him to whom we offer them.'To these words,
uttered aloud, he added something in a whisper to the principal persons
at either side; and, seeming to yield to his instances, they fell back,
while O'Sullivan, bowing respectfully to the cardinal, in token of
acquiescence, moved slowly away, followed by the chieftains.

This little incident, as may be supposed, contributed nothing to remove
the constraint of the scene; and an almost unbroken stillness now
prevailed, when at length a carriage was seen to drive from the
courtyard.

'There goes Monsignore Alberti,' said Count Boyer. 'Where the secretary
of the Pope gives the initiative, it is surely safe to follow. My duty
is paid.' And so saying, and with a deep obeisance to all at either side
of him, he passed out. The Spanish minister followed; and now the whole
assemblage gradually moved away, so that in less than an hour the salons
were deserted, and none remained of all that crowded mass which so
late had filled them, except O'Sullivan, MacNiel, and a few Highland
chieftains of lesser note.

'One might be tempted to say that there was a curse upon this cause,'
said MacNiel sternly, as he threw himself down into a seat. Who ever saw