ouriers and "Laquais de Place," were assembled, to
obtain signatures or passports, and who were summoned from time to time
to enter an inner chamber where the official sat. _My_ turn came at
length, and, with a heart almost swelling to suffocation, I entered.

"For England, I suppose," said a pale young gentleman, with black
moustaches, not looking up from the table, where he sat reading his
"Galignaui."

"No, sir, mine is not a passport case. I am here to make a charge
against the Spanish Government for false imprisonment and spoliation."

The young gentleman raised his head, and stared at me fixedly for a
couple of seconds, and then, in the most silvery of accents, said, "Be
good enough to repeat what you have said."

I did so; adding, "As my case has occupied the attention of the
Foreign Office for some time back, you may possibly have heard of my
name,--Count Cregan."

The youth sprang up from his chair, and hastened into another room,
whence I could hear loud shouts of laughter immediately proceeding.

"No, no, Barrington," said a deeper and an older voice; "I don't want to
see the fellow, and I advise you to get rid of him at once. He 'll be
a bore to us every day of the week, if you give him the slightest
encouragement."

"But is there really nothing in his case?"

"Nothing whatever; he is a downright impostor."

"But Puzzleton certainly corresponded with him.''

"Of course he did, to prevent the Opposition making a handle of his
case in 'the House;' but he soon saw the whole thing was a trumped-up
charge, and as we want to go on smoothly with the Madrid Government, it
would be absurd to disturb our relations for the sake of a fellow like
this."

"Oh, that's it," said the _attache_, catching a faint glimmering of the
secret machinery of diplomacy.

"To be sure," added the other; "if we wanted a grievance, that man's
would do as well as another; but there is no need to hold him over, we
can always catch the Spaniards tripping when we want it. My advice is,
therefore, get rid of him. Say that he must embody his statement in the
form of a memorial, supported by whatever he can adduce in the way of
evidence; that a personal interview can lead to nothing; and, in fact,
dismiss him in the usual way."

And with these lucid instructions,--given in a tone far too loud to be
diplomatic,--the _attache_ returned to the room where I waited.

"You 'll have to reduce this to writing, Count Cregan," said he,
st