aved him, for I really like the Queen; but that his obstinacy is
such, the rescue would have only been a reprieve, not a pardon. Sicily I
meant for us,--I mean for England,--myself to be the Viceroy. The silver
mines at Stromboli have never been worked since the time of Tiberius;
they contain untold wealth: and as to coral fishery, I have obtained
statistics will make your teeth water. I can show you my calculations
in hard figures, that in eight years and four months I should be
the richest man in Europe,--able to purchase the soil of the island
out-and-out, if the British Government were stupid enough not to see
that they ought to establish me and my dynasty there. These are now but
visions,--grand and glorious visions, it is true,--and dearest Bella
sheds tears when I allude to them.

"I have had a row with 'the Office;' they blame me for the downfall of
the monarchy, but they never told me to save it. To you I may make the
confession, it was the two days I passed at Cava cost this Bourbon his
crown. Not that I regret, my dear Tony, this tribute to friendship.
During that interval, as Caraffa expresses it, they were paralyzed.
'Where is Damer?' 'Who has seen Skeff?' 'What has become of him?' 'With
whom is he negotiating?' were the questions on every side; and in the
very midst of the excitement, back comes the fellow M'Caskey, the
little fiery-faced individual you insisted in your raving on calling my
'godfather,' and declares that I am in the camp of the Garibaldians, and
making terms and stipulations with the General himself. The Queen-Mother
went off in strong hysterics when she heard it; the King never uttered a
word,--has never spoken since,--and the dear Queen merely said, 'Darner
will never betray us.'

"These particulars I learned from Francardi. Meanwhile Garibaldi, seeing
the immense importance of my presence at his head-quarters, pushes
on for the capital, and enters Naples, as he gives out, with the
concurrence and approval of England! You will, I have no doubt, hear
another version of this event. You will be told bushels of lies about
heroic daring and frantic popular enthusiasm. To your friendly breast
I commit the truth, never to be revealed, however, except to a remote
posterity.

"One other confession, and I have done,--done with politics forever.
You will hear of Garibaldi as a brave, straightforward, simple-minded,
unsuspectful man, hating intrigues of all kinds. This is totally wrong.
With all