ore the petition comes on, we shall have
the sale completed. The Colonel shall be taught that our tactics are
somewhat sharper than his own."

Hankes smiled approvingly at this stratagem of his chief, and really for
the moment felt proud of serving such a leader. Once more, however,
did he turn to his dreary note-book and its inexorable bead-roll of
difficulties; but Dunn no longer heard him, for he was deep in his
private correspondence, tearing open and reading letter after letter
with impatient haste. "What of the Crimea--what did you say, there?"
cried Dunn, stopping suddenly, and catching at the sound of that one
word.

"That report of the 'Morning Post' would require a prompt
contradiction."

"What report?" asked Dunn, quickly.

"Here's the paragraph." And the other read from a newspaper before him:
"'Our readers, we feel assured, will learn with satisfaction that the
Government is at this moment in negotiation for the services of Mr.
Davenport Dunn in the Crimea. To any one who has followed the sad
story of our Commissariat blunders and shortcomings, the employment of
this--the first administrative mind of our day--will be matter for just
gratification. We have only to turn our eyes to the sister country, and
see what success has attended his great exertions there, to anticipate
what will follow his labors in the still more rugged field of the
Crimea.'

"This is from the 'Examiner': 'We are sorry to hear, and upon the
authority that assumes to be indisputable, that a grave difficulty has
suspended, for the time at least, the negotiation between the Government
and Mr. Daren-port Dunn; the insistence on the part of that gentleman of
such a recognition for his services as no Administration could dare to
promise being the obstacle.'

"'Punch' has also his say: 'Mr. Davenport Dunn's scheme is now before
the cabinet It resolves itself into this: The Anglo-French alliance
to be conducted on the principles of a Limited Liability Company. For
preference shares, address Count Morny in Paris, or Dowb at Balaklava.'"

"So much for official secrecy and discretion. This morning brings me the
offer from the Minister of this appointment; and here is the whole press
of England speculating, criticising, and ridiculing it, forty-eight
hours before the proposal is made me! What says the great leading
journal?" added he, opening a broad sheet before him. "Very brief, and
very vague," muttered he. "'No one knows better than t