bills of exchange for three thousand guineas each, payable
in six months, and drawn on his London banker.

I heard all about this from Lord Lincoln himself when we met at Bologna
three months later.

The next morning the little gaming party was the talk of Florence. Sasso
Sassi, the banker, had already paid Zanovitch six thousand sequins by my
lord's orders.

Medini came to see me, furious at not having been asked to join the
party, while I congratulated myself on my absence. My surprise may be
imagined, when, a few days after, a person came up to my room, and
ordered me to leave Florence in three days and Tuscany in a week.

I was petrified, and called to my landlord to witness the unrighteous
order I had received.

It was December 28th. On the same date, three years before, I had
received orders to leave Barcelona in three days.

I dressed hastily and went to the magistrate to enquire the reason for my
exile, and on entering the room I found it was the same man who had
ordered me to leave Florence eleven years before.

I asked him to give me his reasons, and he replied coldly that such was
the will of his highness.

"But as his highness must have his reasons, it seems to me that I am
within my rights in enquiring what they are."

"If you think so you had better betake yourself to the prince; I know
nothing about it. He left yesterday for Pisa, where he will stay three
days; you can go there."

"Will he pay for my journey?"

"I should doubt it, but you can see for yourself."

"I shall not go to Pisa, but I will write to his highness if you will
promise to send on the letter."

"I will do so immediately, for it is my duty."

"Very good; you shall have the letter before noon tomorrow, and before
day-break I shall be in the States of the Church."

"There's no need for you to hurry yourself."

"There is a very great hurry. I cannot breathe the air of a country where
liberty is unknown and the sovereign breaks his word; that is what I am
going to write to your master."

As I was going out I met Medini, who had come on the same business as
myself.

I laughed, and informed him of the results of my interview, and how I had
been told to go to Pisa.

"What! have you been expelled, too?"

"Yes."

"What have you done?"

"Nothing."

"Nor I. Let us go to Pisa."

"You can go if you like, but I shall leave Florence tonight."

When I got home I told my landlord to get me a carriage and to order four