of silencing these gentry.
I took the Count de Schmetterling, the richest and bravest of the young
men who seemed to have a hankering for the Countess Ida, and publicly
insulted him at the ridotto; flinging my cards into his face. The next
day I rode thirty-five miles into the territory of the Elector of B----,
and met Monsieur de Schmetterling, and passed my sword twice through
his body; then rode back with my second, the Chevalier de Magny, and
presented myself at the Duchess's whist that evening. Magny was very
unwilling to accompany me at first; but I insisted upon his support, and
that he should countenance my quarrel. Directly after paying my homage
to her Highness, I went up to the Countess Ida, and made her a marked
and low obeisance, gazing at her steadily in the face until she grew
crimson red; and then staring round at every man who formed her circle,
until, MA FOI, I stared them all away. I instructed Magny to say,
everywhere, that the Countess was madly in love with me; which
commission, along with many others of mine, the poor devil was obliged
to perform. He made rather a SOTTE FIGURE, as the French say, acting the
pioneer for me, praising me everywhere, accompanying me always! he
who had been the pink of the MODE until my arrival; he who thought his
pedigree of beggarly Barons of Magny was superior to the race of great
Irish kings from which I descended; who had sneered at me a hundred
times as a spadassin, a deserter, and had called me a vulgar Irish
upstart. Now I had my revenge of the gentleman, and took it too.

I used to call him, in the choicest societies, by his Christian name
of Maxime. I would say, 'Bon jour, Maxime; comment vas-TU?' in the
Princess's hearing, and could see him bite his lips for fury and
vexation. But I had him under my thumb, and her Highness too--I, poor
private of Bulow's regiment. And this is a proof of what genius and
perseverance can do, and should act as a warning to great people never
to have SECRETS--if they can help it.

I knew the Princess hated me; but what did I care? She knew I knew all:
and indeed, I believe, so strong was her prejudice against me, that she
thought I was an indelicate villain, capable of betraying a lady, which
I would scorn to do; so that she trembled before me as a child before
its schoolmaster. She would, in her woman's way, too, make all sorts
of jokes and sneers at me on reception days; ask about my palace in
Ireland, and the kings my ances