last autumn with the Prince de Carignan and Cavour."
And once more had Tony to thank his stars for having fallen into such
companionship.

As they glided along towards Turin, the Colonel told Tony that if he
found the "Weazle" gunboat at Genoa, as he expected, waiting for him,
he would set him, Tony, and his despatches, down safely at Naples, as
he passed on to Malta. "If it 's the 'Growler,'" said he, "I 'll not
promise you, because Hurton the commander is not in good-humor with
me. I refused to recommend him the other day to the First Lord for
promotion--say nothing about this to the fellows at the Legation;
indeed, don't mention anything about me, except to Damer--for the
dinner, you know."

"I suppose I ought to go straight to the Legation at once?" said
Tony, as they entered Turin; "my orders are to deliver the bags before
anything else."

"Certainly; let us drive there straight,--there's nothing like doing
things regularly; I 'm a martinet about all duty;" and so they drove
to the Legation, where Tony, throwing one large sack to the porter,
shouldered the other himself, and passed in.

"Holloa!" cried the Colonel; "I 'll give you ten minutes, and if you 're
not down by that time, I 'll go off and order breakfast at the inn."

"All right," said Tony; "this fellow says that Darner is at Naples."

"I knew that," muttered the Colonel to himself; and then added aloud,
"Be alive and come down as quick as you can,"--he looked at his watch as
he spoke; it wanted five minutes to eight,--"at five minutes past eight
the train should start for Genoa."

He seized the small despatch-bag in his hand, and, telling the cabman
to drive to the Hotel Feder and wait for him there, he made straight for
the railroad. He was just in the nick; and while Tony was impatiently
pacing an anteroom of the Legation, the other was already some miles on
the way to Genoa.

At last a very sleepy-looking attache, in a dressing-gown and slippers,
made his appearance. "Nothing but these?" said he, yawning and pointing
to the great sacks.

"No; nothing else for Turin."

"Then why the----did you knock me up,--when it's only a shower-bath and
Greydon's boot-trees?"

"How the----did I know what was in them?" said

Tony, as angrily.

"You must be precious green, then. When were you made?"

"When was I made?"

"Yes; when were you named a messenger?"

"Some time in spring."

"I thought you must be an infant, or you 'd know that it's onl