ed; while I sat to muse over the singularity
of my position, and to wonder if any other man was ever similarly
situated.

When I proceeded to pay my respects to the countess the next morning, I
prepared myself to witness a state of great sorrow and depression. How
pleasantly was I disappointed at finding her gay--perhaps gayer than
ever--and evidently enjoying the success of the count's scheme!

'Gustav is at St. Tron by this,' said she, looking at the map; 'he 'll
reach Liege two hours before the post; fresh horses will then bring him
rapidly to Battiste. Oh, here are the papers; let us see the way his
departure is announced.' She turned over one journal after another
without finding the wished-for paragraph, until at last, in the corner
of the _Handelsblad_, she came upon the following:--

'Yesterday morning an express reached the minister for the home affairs
that the celebrated _escroc_, the Chevalier Duguet, whose famous forgery
on the Neapolitan bank may be in the memory of our readers, was actually
practising his art under a feigned name in Brussels, where, having
obtained his _entree_ among some respectable families of the lower
town, he has succeeded in obtaining large sums of money under various
pretences. His skill at play is, they say, the least of his many
accomplishments.'

She threw down the paper in a fit of laughter at these words, and called
out, 'Is it not too absurd? That's Gustav's doing; anything for a quiz,
no matter what. He once got himself and Prince Carl of Prussia brought
up before the police for hooting the king.'

'But Duguet,' said I--'what has he to do with Duguet?'

'Don't you see that's a feigned name,' replied she--'assumed by him as
if he had half-a-dozen such? Read on, and you'll learn it all.'

I took the paper, and continued where she ceased reading--

'This Duguet is then, it would appear, identical with a very well-known
Polish Count Czaroviski, who with his lady had been passing some
weeks at the Hotel de France. The police have, however, received his
_signalement_, and are on his track.'

'But why, in Heaven's name, should he spread such an odious calumny on
himself?' said I.

'Dear me, how very simple you are! I thought he had told you all. As a
mere _escroc_, money will always bribe the authorities to let him pass;
as a political offender, and as such the importance of his mission
would proclaim him, nothing would induce the officials to further his
escape--their