el.

"What does it matter?" said she, flushing; "I had it. Well, then, what
did he do? He persuaded me to put it all--the whole one hundred and
fifty thousand--into his horrid debt. Oh! wasn't it mean, Mr. Martin?"

The President had certainly combined business and pleasure in this
matter.

"Disgraceful!" I remarked.

"And if that goes, I am penniless--penniless. And there's poor aunt.
What will she do?"

"Never mind your aunt," said the colonel, rather rudely. "Well," he
went on, "you see we're in the same boat with you, Martin."

"Yes; and we shall soon be in the same deep water," said I.

"Not at all!" said the colonel.

"Not at all!" echoed the signorina.

"Why, what on earth are you going to do?"

"Financial probity is the backbone of a country," said the colonel.
"Are we to stand by and see Aureataland enter on the shameful path of
repudiation?"

"Never!" cried the signorina, leaping up with sparkling eyes. "Never!"

She looked enchanting. But business is business; and I said again:

"What are you going to do?"

"We are going, with your help, Martin, to prevent this national
disgrace. We are going--" he lowered his voice, uselessly, for the
signorina struck in, in a high, merry tone, waving her gloves over
head and dancing a little _pas seul_ on the floor before me, with
these remarkable words:

"Hurrah for the Revolution! Hip! hip! hurrah!"

She looked like a Goddess of Freedom in her high spirits and a Paris
bonnet. I lost my mental balance. Leaping up, I grasped her round the
waist, and we twirled madly about the office, the signorina breaking
forth into the "Marseillaise."

"For God's sake, be quiet!" said McGregor, in a hoarse whisper, making
a clutch at me as I sped past him. "If they hear you! Stop, I tell
you, Christina!"

The signorina stopped.

"Do you mean me, Colonel McGregor?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, "and that fool Martin, too."

"Even in times of revolution, colonel," said I, "nothing is lost by
politeness. But in substance you are right. Let us be sober."

We sat down again, panting, the signorina between her gasps still
faintly humming the psalm of liberty.

"Kindly unfold your plan, colonel," I resumed. "I am aware that out
here you think little of revolutions, but to a newcomer they appear to
be matters requiring some management. You see we are only three."

"I have the army with me," said he grandly.

"In the outer office?" asked I, indulging in a sneer at th