Glascock and his niece. Why then did Mr. Glascock
avoid him? It was perhaps natural that Mr. Spalding should have
omitted to observe that Mr. Glascock was not delighted by those
lectures on the American constitution which formed so large a part of
his ordinary conversation with Englishmen.

It happened one afternoon that they were thrown together so closely
for nearly an hour that neither could avoid the other. They were both
at the old palace in which the Italian parliament is held, and were
kept waiting during some long delay in the ceremonies of the place.
They were seated next to each other, and during such delay there was
nothing for them but to talk. On the other side of each of them was a
stranger, and not to talk in such circumstances would be to quarrel.
Mr. Glascock began by asking after the ladies.

"They are quite well, sir, thank you," said the minister. "I hope
that Lord Peterborough was pretty well when last you heard from
Naples, Mr. Glascock." Mr. Glascock explained that his father's
condition was not much altered, and then there was silence for a
moment.

"Your nieces will remain with you through the spring I suppose?" said
Mr. Glascock.

"Such is their intention, sir."

"They seem to like Florence, I think."

"Yes;--yes; I think they do like Florence. They see this capital,
sir, perhaps under more favourable circumstances than are accorded
to most of my countrywomen. Our republican simplicity, Mr. Glascock,
has this drawback, that away from home it subjects us somewhat to the
cold shade of unobserved obscurity. That it possesses merits which
much more than compensate for this trifling evil I should be the last
man in Europe to deny." It is to be observed that American citizens
are always prone to talk of Europe. It affords the best counterpoise
they know to that other term, America,--and America and the United
States are of course the same. To speak of France or of England as
weighing equally against their own country seems to an American to be
an absurdity,--and almost an insult to himself. With Europe he can
compare himself, but even this is done generally in the style of the
Republican Browning when she addressed the Ancient Marbles.

"Undoubtedly," said Mr. Glascock, "the family of a minister
abroad has great advantages in seeing the country to which he is
accredited."

"That is my meaning, sir. But, as I was remarking, we carry with us
as a people no external symbols of our standing a