ed my eyes rapidly
on him, and recognised--whom, think you? But you'd never guess: no other
than your old antagonist, Ulick Burke!'

'Ulick Burke! You must have been mistaken.'

'No, no. I knew him at once; the light rested on him for full five
minutes, and I had time enough to scan every feature of his face. I
could swear to the man now. He left us at last, and I watched him till
he disappeared among the crowd of servants that filled the courtyard.'

'"That's one of your people," said I carelessly, as Guillemain drew up
the glass, and sat back in the carriage.

'"Yes, and a thorough scoundrel he is--capable of anything."

'"He's not French," said I, with the same indifference of manner I had
feigned at first.

'Guillemain started as I spoke; and I half feared I had destroyed all by
venturing too much. At length, after a short pause, he replied: "You're
right, he's not French; but we have them of all nations--Poles, Swedes,
Germans, Italians, Greeks. That fellow is English."

'"Say Irish, rather," said I, determining to risk all, to know all.

'"You know him, then?" said Guillemain hurriedly; "where did you see
Fitzgerald?"

'"Fitzgerald!" said I, repeating the name after him; and then affecting
disappointment, added, "That's not the name."

'"Ha! I knew you were mistaken," said Guillemain, with animation; "the
fellow told me he defies recognition; and I certainly have tried him
often among his countrymen, and he has never been detected. And yet he
knows the English thoroughly and intimately. It was through him that I
first found out these very people we are going to."

'Here, Jack, he entered upon a long account of our worthy hosts, who
with great wealth, great pretensions, and as great vulgarity came to
Paris some weeks ago in that mighty flood of all sorts of people that
flocked here since the peace. Their desire to be ranked among the
fashionable entertainers of the day was soon reported to the minister
of police, who, after considering how far such a house might be useful,
where persons of all shades of political opinion might meet--friends of
the Bourbons, Jacobites, Napoleonists, the men of '88, and the admirers
of the old _regime_--measures were accordingly taken that their
invitations should go out to the first persons in Paris, and, more
still, should be accepted by them.

'While these worthy people are therefore distributing their
hospitalities with all the good faith imaginable, their hotel is