of such matters myself, but she sent
Twist home t' other day in such a state of alarm that he telegraphed to
Turin to transfer all his 'Sardinians' into 'New Yorkers,' and has been
seriously thinking of establishing himself in Broadway."

"I wish she 'd favor me with her views about theatrical property," said
Stocmar, with a half sneer, "and what is to become of the Grand Opera in
the grand smash."

"Ask her, and she'll tell you," cried Trover. "You'll never pose her
with a difficulty; she 'll give you a plan for paying off the national
debt, tell you how to recruit the finances of India, conduct the Chinese
war, or oppose French intrigues in Turkey, while she stitches away at
her Berlin work. I give you my word, while she was finishing off the end
of an elephant's snout in brown worsted, t' other day, she restored the
Murats to Naples, gave Sicily to Russia, and sent the Pope, as head of a
convict establishment, to Cayenne."

"Is she a little touched in the upper story?" asked Stoc-mar, laying his
finger on his forehead.

"Twist says not Twist calls her the wiliest serpent he ever saw, but not
mad."

"And now a word about the daughter," cried Stocmar. "What's the girl
like?"

"Pretty,--very pretty; long eyelashes, very regular features, a
beautiful figure; and the richest auburn hair I ever saw, but, with all
that, none of the mother's _esprit_,--no smartness, no brilliancy. In
fact, I should call her a regular mope."

"She is very young, remember," broke in Stocmar.

"That's true; but with such a clever mother, if she really had any
smartness, it would certainly show itself. Now, it is not only that
she displays no evidence of superior mind, but she wears an air of
depression and melancholy that seems like a sort of confession of
her own insufficiency, so Twist says, and Twist is very shrewd as to
character."

"I can answer for it, he's devilish close-fisted as to money," said
Stocmar, laughing.

"I remember," chimed in Trover; "he told me that you came into the bank
with such a swaggering air, and had such a profusion of gold chains,
rings, and watch-trinkets, that he set you down for one of the swell-mob
out on a tour."

"Civil, certainly," said Stocmar, "but as little flattering to his own
perspicuity as to myself. But I'll never forget the paternal tone in
which he whispered me afterwards, 'Whenever you want a discount, Mr.
Stocmar, from a stranger,--an utter stranger,--don't wear an opal pin
set i