, asleep or talking loudly, several of them in French. A
room like this, dimly lighted, was not calculated to make a cheerful
impression upon Anton, who whispered to the merchant, "If revolutions in
general look like this, they are ugly things."

"They always destroy, and seldom recreate," was the reply. "I am afraid
that this room is an emblem of the whole town: the painted coat of arms
on the ceiling, and the dirty bench on which we are sitting. When such
contrasts as these are brought into juxtaposition, it is enough to make
a sober-minded man cross himself in horror. The nobles and the people
are bad enough, taken separately, when they each try their hands at
government; but when they unite, they are sure to bring down the house
that holds them."

"The nobles are the most troublesome," said Anton. "Commend me to our
krakuse; he was a polite insurgent, and knew the value of a half dollar;
but these gentlemen seem to have no business notions at all."

"Let us wait a little," said the principal.

A quarter of an hour had passed, when a young man, tall in stature and
stately in aspect, followed by the white-gloved gentleman, politely
approached the merchant, saying so loudly that even the sleepers could
hardly fail to hear, "I rejoice to see you here, and have indeed been
expecting it; have the goodness to follow me with your companion."

"By Jove, we are looking up!" thought Anton.

They followed their majestic guide into a small corner room, which was
evidently the boudoir of the quarters, for it contained an ottoman, easy
chairs, and a handsome writing-table. Different uniforms and articles of
dress were carelessly thrown upon the furniture; and on the table lay,
in the midst of papers, a pair of double-barreled pocket pistols, and a
large seal richly set in gold.

While Anton was noticing that the whole room was very elegant, but, at
the same time, very untidy, the young chief turned to the merchant and
said, with somewhat more reserve and less amenity, "You have, through a
misunderstanding, been exposed to some rudeness, as is indeed often
unavoidable in troubled times. Your escort has confirmed your
statements. I now beg you to impart to me the reason of your visit."

The merchant accordingly briefly but precisely explained the purpose of
his journey, named those men in the place with whom he was connected in
business, and appealed to them to ratify his statements.

"I know both those gentlemen," answered