fth; a certain Mr. Montague Crofts, whom you may remember,
having won every shilling he possessed, even to the sale of his
commission. This was the cause of our coming abroad; so that at the very
moment that he was giving himself these airs of pretended greatness, we
were ruined."

"Upon my life, she believes all that," whispered Bubbleton, with a wink
at me. "Poor old thing! I must get Larrey to look at her."

"Happily, or unhappily--who shall say which?--there was a greater fool
even than himself in the village; and he was the _maire_. This
wise functionary became alarmed at the piles of papers and rolls of
manuscripts that were seen about our rooms, and equally suspicious about
the dark hints and mysterious innuendoes he threw out from time to time.
The prefet was informed of it; and the result was, an order for our
removal to Paris. Here, then, we are; with what destiny before us who
shall tell? For, as he still persists in his atrocious nonsense, and
calls himself major-general--"

"Lieutenant-general, my dear," said Bubbleton, mildly; "I never was
major-general."

"Is it not too bad?" said she. "Could any patience endure this?"

"Don't be violent; take care, Anna Maria," said he, rebukingly. "Potts
said I should use restraint again, if you showed any return of the
paroxysm. That's the way she takes it," said he in a low whisper,
"with a blinking about the eyes and a pattering of the feet. Bathe your
temples, dear, and you'll be better presently."

Anna Maria sat still, not uttering a word, and actually fearing by a
gesture to encourage a commentary on her manner.

"Sometimes she 'll mope for hours," muttered he in my ear; "at others,
she's furious,--there's no saying how it will turn. You wouldn't like a
pipe? I forgot to ask you."

"And worse than all, sir," said the lady, as if no longer able to
restrain her temper, "he is supposed to be a spy of the police. I heard
it myself this morning."

"Eh, what!" exclaimed Bubbleton, jumping up in an ecstasy of delight. "A
spy! By Jove! I knew it. Lord! what fellows they are, these French! not
two days here yet, and they discovered I was no common man,--eh,
Burke? Maybe I haven't frightened them, my boy. It's not every one would
create such a sensation, let me tell you; I knew I'd do it."

Miss Bubbleton looked at him for an instant with a sneer of the most
withering contempt, and then rising abruptly, left the room. But the
general little cared for such evide