:--that there were English
and French ladies living in many of the South American cities--the wives
and sisters of English and French merchants resident there, as well as
of various representative officials--and that these, although so very
far distant from their homes, still obstinately persisted in following
the fashions of London and Paris, notwithstanding (it was added) the
ridicule with which such an absurd headdress was regarded by their fair
sisters of Spanish America.

For these sojourners, then, the box of bonnets had been intended.

I am sorry to add that for that season their expectations must have been
disappointed. The bonnets could never have reached them, or, if they
did, it must have been in such a state as to render them unfit for any
purpose of adornment. Mine was an unmerciful hand; for, once inside
that box, it never ceased from wreck and ruin till the whole of those
beautiful "ducks" were crumpled up and stowed away in less than a tenth
part of the valuable space they had hitherto occupied.

No doubt many an imprecation was afterwards heaped on my devoted head;
and the only apology I can make is to speak the simple truth--that with
me it was a matter of life or death, and the bonnets had to go. It was
not likely that this would be satisfactory in the quarter where the
bonnets were expected. I never heard whether or no. I only know that I
was enabled afterwards--but long afterwards--to satisfy my own
conscience about the matter, by _paying the damage_ claimed by the
Transatlantic milliner.

CHAPTER SIXTY TWO.

HALF SUFFOCATED.

Having disposed of the bonnets, my next step was to climb up into the
empty box; and, if possible, get the lid, or part of it, removed. But,
first, I endeavoured to ascertain what was on the top of it, and for
this purpose I adopted a plan that had already served me more than
once--of feeling through the slits with the blade of my knife.
Unfortunately, this was now shorter, and not so suitable for such a
service, but it was still long enough to reach through a piece of inch
plank, and two inches beyond, and this would no doubt enable me to
determine whether the next obstacle to be encountered was a hard or a
soft one.

Once within the bonnet-box, I stuck my blade up through the lid. The
package above was composed of something soft and yielding. I remembered
that there was a canvas cover, but I drove the blade in to its hilt, and
still it encountered nothin