repared at his embassy, and as he was only going to
France, there were no more formalities necessary, but the visa of the
police, and that of the foreign office. All was done but the last, and
he was directed to call at four o'clock. His place was retained in that
evening's mail, and being a mercantile traveller, both time and cash
were of importance to him. On applying at the appointed hour, his
passport was returned to him without the _visa_, because the French
Secretary had, in a fit of absence, written Cadiz, instead of
Bordeaux--he was to wait a day to get the mistake rectified.

These inconveniences were surpassed by that to which the passengers of
our diligence were subjected at Tudela. Imagine yourself ensconced in a
corner of the Exeter mail (when it existed) and on arriving at Taunton,
or any intermediate town, being informed that an unforeseen circumstance
rendered it necessary to remain there twenty-four hours, instead of
proceeding in the usual manner. On this announcement being made at
Tudela, I inquired what had happened, and learned that a diligence,
which usually met ours, and the mules of which were to take us on, was
detained a day at Tolosa, a hundred miles off. Rather than send a boy to
the next stage to bring the team of mules, which had nothing to do, a
dozen travellers had to wait until the better fortunes of the previous
vehicle should restore it to its natural course.

As if this contretems was not sufficient, we were subjected to the most
galling species of tyranny, weighing on the dearest of human privileges,
I mean that which the proprietor of a shilling,--zwanziger, franc, or
pezeta,--feels that he possesses of demanding to be fed. We had left
Saragoza at nine in the morning, and had arrived without stoppages at
six. A plentiful dinner, smoking on the table of the _comedor_, might
have produced a temporary forgetfulness of our sorrows: but no
entreaties could prevail on the hostess to lay the table-cloth. It was
usual for the joint supper of the two coaches to take place at nine, and
not an instant sooner should we eat. Weighed down by this complication
of miseries, we sat, a disconsolate party, round the _brasero_, until at
about eight our spirits began to rise at the sight of a table-cloth; and
during half an hour, the occasional entrance of a waiting woman, with
the different articles for the table, kept our hopes buoyed up, and our
heads in motion towards the door, each time it opened t