t probable that he was employed to wait at the table
of strangers in Berlin, and to bring to the Police Minister any news
concerning them which might at all interest the Government. The great
Frederick never received a guest without taking these hospitable
precautions; and as for the duels which Mr. Barry fights, may we be
allowed to hint a doubt as to a great number of these combats. It will
be observed, in one or two other parts of his Memoirs, that whenever he
is at an awkward pass, or does what the world does not usually consider
respectable, a duel, in which he is victorious, is sure to ensue; from
which he argues that he is a man of undoubted honour.] and thy fortune
is made. We shall get thee out of the army, appoint thee to the police
bureau, and procure for thee an inspectorship of customs; and, in fine,
allow thee to move in a better sphere than that in which Fortune has
hitherto placed thee.

Although I did not believe a word of this speech, I affected to be very
much moved by it, and of course swore eternal gratitude to the Captain
for his kindness to the poor Irish castaway.

'Your service at the Dutch Minister's has pleased me very well. There is
another occasion on which you may make yourself useful to us; and if you
succeed, depend on it your reward will be secure.'

'What is the service, sir?' said I; 'I will do anything for so kind a
master.'

'There is lately come to Berlin,' said the Captain, 'a gentleman in
the service of the Empress-Queen, who calls himself the Chevalier de
Balibari, and wears the red riband and star of the Pope's order of the
Spur. He speaks Italian or French indifferently; but we have some
reason to fancy this Monsieur de Balibari is a native of your country of
Ireland. Did you ever hear such a name as Balibari in Ireland?'

'Balibari? Balyb--?' A sudden thought flashed across me. 'No, sir,' said
I, 'I never heard the name.'

'You must go into his service. Of course you will not know a word of
English: and if the Chevalier asks as to the particularity of your
accent, say you are a Hungarian. The servant who came with him will be
turned away to-day, and the person to whom he has applied for a faithful
fellow will recommend you. You are a Hungarian; you served in the Seven
Years' War. You left the army on account of weakness of the loins. You
served Monsieur de Quellenberg two years; he is now with the army in
Silesia, but there is your certificate signed by him. You afterwar