and the Zouave. But the Zouave's joy was full, and
he didn't appear to notice it. He settled himself in a chair, and
laughed loud in his happiness.

"Only to think of it," said he. "Why, I had no more idea of your being
here, Minnie, than _Victory_. Well, here you see me. Only been here a
couple of months or so. You got my last favor, of course? And ain't
you regular knocked up to see me a Baron? Yes, a Baron--a real, live
Baron! I'll tell you all about it. You see I was here two or three
years ago--the time of Mentana--and fought on the Pope's side. Odd
thing, too, wasn't it, for an American? But so it was. Well, they
promoted me, and wanted me to stay. But I couldn't fix it. I had
business off home, and was on my way there the time of the shipwreck.
Well, I've been dodgin' all round every where since then, but never
forgettin' little Min, mind you, and at last I found myself here, all
right. I'd been speculatin' in wines and raisins, and just dropped in
here to take pot-luck with some old Zouave friends, when, darn me! if
they didn't make me stay. It seems there's squally times ahead. They
wanted a live man. They knew I was that live man. They offered me any
thing I wanted. They offered me the title of Baron Atramonte. That
knocked me, I tell you. Says I, I'm your man. So now you see me Baron
Atramonte, captain in the Papal Zouaves, ready to go where glory waits
me--but fonder than ever of little Min. Oh, I tell you what, I ain't a
bit of a brag, but I'm _some_ here. The men think I'm a little the
tallest lot in the shape of a commander they ever _did_ see. When I'm
in Rome I do as the Romans do, and so I let fly at them a speech every
now and then. Why, I've gone through nearly the whole 'National
Speaker' by this time. I've given them Marcellus's speech to the mob,
Brutus's to the Romans, and Antony's over Caesar's dead body. I tried a
bit of Cicero against Catiline, but I couldn't remember it very well.
You know it, of course. _Quousque tandem_, you know."

[Illustration:
"CATCHING MINNIE IN HIS ARMS, HE KISSED HER SEVERAL TIMES."]

"Well, Min, how goes it?" he continued. "This _is_ jolly; and, what's
more, it's real good in you--darn me if it ain't! I knew you'd be
regularly struck up all of a heap when you heard of me as a Baron, but
I really didn't think you'd come all the way here to see me. And you
do look stunning! You do beat all! And this lady? You haven't
introduced me, you know."

The Baron rose, an