g, in the mean time, with the assistance of his
countryman, the man of taste, was endeavouring to explain a certain
point in American politics to the Count. As, in doing this, they
called upon Mr. Gore to translate every speech they made into
Italian, and as Mr. Gore had never offered his services as an
interpreter, and as the Italian did not quite catch the subtle
meanings of the Americans in Mr. Gore's Tuscan version, and did not
in the least wish to understand the things that were explained to
him, Mr. Gore and the Italian began to think that the two Americans
were bores. "The truth is, Mr. Spalding," said Mr. Gore, "I've got
such a cold in my head, that I don't think I can explain it any
more." Then Livy Spalding laughed aloud, and the two American
gentlemen began to eat their dinner. "It sounds ridiculous, don't
it?" said Mr. Gore, in a whisper.

"I ought not to have laughed, I know," said Livy.

"The very best thing you could have done. I shan't be troubled any
more now. The fact is, I know just nine words of Italian. Now there
is a difficulty in having to explain the whole theory of American
politics to an Italian, who doesn't want to know anything about it,
with so very small a repertory of words at one's command."

"How well you did it!"

"Too well. I felt that. So well that, unless I had stopped it, I
shouldn't have been able to say a word to you all through dinner.
Your laughter clenched it, and Buonarosci and I will be grateful to
you for ever."

After the ladies went there was rather a bad half hour for Mr.
Glascock. He was button-holed by the minister, and found it
oppressive before he was enabled to escape into the drawing-room.
"Mr. Glascock," said the minister, "an English gentleman, sir,
like you, who has the privilege of an hereditary seat in your
parliament,"--Mr. Glascock was not quite sure whether he were being
accused of having an hereditary seat in the House of Commons, but he
would not stop to correct any possible error on that point,--"and who
has been born to all the gifts of fortune, rank, and social eminence,
should never think that his education is complete till he has visited
our great cities in the west." Mr. Glascock hinted that he by no
means conceived his education to be complete; but the minister went
on without attending to this. "Till you have seen, sir, what men
can do who are placed upon the earth with all God's gifts of free
intelligence, free air, and a free soil, but wit