me during the King's visit. This
commission I should lodge at my bank in Paris, to be a voucher for me
at the last extremity. I had no doubt his lordship would empower me to
act in this instance as I had acted on two former occasions.

* * * * *

Perhaps if I had not lunched so well I might have approached his
lordship with greater deference than was the case; but when ordering
lunch I permitted a bottle of Chateau du Tertre, 1878, a most
delicious claret, to be decanted carefully for my delectation at the
table, and this caused a genial glow to permeate throughout my system,
inducing a mental optimism which left me ready to salute the greatest
of earth on a plane of absolute equality. Besides, after all, I am the
citizen of a Republic.

The nobleman received me with frigid correctness, implying disapproval
of my unauthorised visit, rather than expressing it. Our interview was
extremely brief.

'I had the felicity of serving your lordship upon two occasions,' I
began.

'They are well within my recollection,' he interrupted, 'but I do not
remember sending for you a third time.'

'I have taken the liberty of coming unrequested, my lord, because of
the importance of the news I carry. I surmise that you are interested
in the promotion of friendship between France and England.'

'Your surmise, sir, is incorrect. I care not a button about it. My
only anxiety was for the safety of the King.'

Even the superb claret was not enough to fortify me against words so
harsh, and tones so discourteous, as those his lordship permitted
himself to use.

'Sir,' said I, dropping the title in my rising anger, 'it may interest
you to know that a number of your countrymen run the risk of being
blown to eternity by an anarchist bomb in less than two weeks from
today. A party of business men, true representatives of a class to
which the pre-eminence of your Empire is due, are about to proceed--'

'Pray spare me,' interpolated his lordship wearily, 'I have read that
sort of thing so often in the newspapers. If all these estimable City
men are blown up, the Empire would doubtless miss them, as you hint,
but I should not, and their fate does not interest me in the least,
although you did me the credit of believing that it would. Thompson,
you will show this person out? Sir, if I desire your presence here in
future I will send for you.'

'You may send for the devil!' I cried, now thoroughly enraged, the