me by the
hands, and shaking them with a cordiality I had not known for many a
year.

"Really, sir," said I, "I am but too happy to be recognized; but a most
unfortunate memory--"

"Memory, lad! I never forgot anything in life. I remember the doctor
shaking the snow off his boots the night I was born; a devilish cold
December. We lived at Benhungeramud, in the Himalaya."

"What!" cried I; "is this Captain Bubbleton, my old and kind friend?"

"General, Tom,--Lieutenant-General Bubbleton, with your leave," said he,
correcting me. "How the boy has grown! I remember him when he was scarce
so high."

"But, my dear captain--"

"General, lieutenant-general--"

"Well, Lieutenant-General,--to what happy chance do we owe the pleasure
of seeing you here?"

"War, boy,--the old story. But we shall have time enough to talk over
these things; and I see we are detaining the countess."

So saying, the general gave his arm to madame, and led the way
towards the dinner; whither we followed,--I in a state of surprise
and astonishment that left me unable to collect my faculties for a
considerable time after.

Although the party, with the exception of Bubbleton, were French,
he himself, as was his wont, supported nearly the whole of the
conversation; and if his French was none of the most accurate, he amply
made up in volubility for all accidents of grammar. It appeared that he
had been three years at Verdun, a prisoner; though how he came there,
whence, and at what exact period, there was no discovering. And now
his arrival at Paris was an event equally shrouded in mystery, for no
negotiations had been opened for his exchange whatsoever; but he had
had the eloquence to persuade the prefet that the omission was a mere
accident,--some blunder of the War-Office people, which he would rectify
on his arrival at Paris. And there he was, though with what prospect
of reaching England none but one of his inventive genius could possibly
guess. He was brimful of politics, ministerial secrets, state news, and
Government intentions, not only as regarded England, but Austria and
Russia: and communicated in deep confidence a grand scheme by which the
Fox ministry were to immortalize themselves,--which was by giving up
Malta to the Bourbons, Louis the Eighteenth to be king, Goza to be a
kind of dependency to be governed by a lieutenant-general whom "he would
not name;" finishing his glass with an ominous look as he spoke.
Thence he wandered o