ound?" asked I, carelessly.

"For Cadiz," said he; "she came into port only this morning, and is
already off again."

"With despatches, perhaps?" I remarked, with the same tone of
indifference.

"No, Senhor; she came to convey Don Lopez y Geloso, the Spanish
ambassador, back to Madrid."

"And is he on board of her now?" screamed I, in a perfect paroxysm of
terror. "Is _she_ too?"

"He embarked about an hour ago, with his bride and suite," said the
astonished banker, who evidently was not quite sure of his guest's
sanity.

Overwhelmed by these tidings, which gave at once the death-blow to all
my plans, I could not speak, but sat down upon a seat, my gaze fixed
upon the vessel which carried all my dearest hopes.

"You probably desired to see his Excellency before he sailed?" said the
banker, timidly, after waiting a long time in the expectation that I
would speak.

"Most anxiously did I desire it," said I, shrouding my sorrow under an
affectation of important state solicitude.

"What a misfortune," exclaimed he, "that you should have missed him! In
all likelihood, had you seen him, he would have agreed to our terms."

"You are right," said I, shaking my head sententiously, and neither
guessing nor caring what he alluded to.

"So that he would have accepted the guarantee," exclaimed the banker,
with increased excitement.

"He would have accepted the guarantee," echoed I, without the remotest
idea of what the words could mean.

"Oh, Madre de Dios, what an unhappy mischance is this! Is it yet too
late? Alas! the breeze is freshening,--the sloop is already sinking
beyond the horizon; to overtake her would be impossible! And you say
that the guarantee would have been accepted?"

"You may rely upon it," said I, the more confidently as I saw that the
ship was far beyond the chance of pursuit.

"What a benefactor to this country you might have been, Senhor, had you
done us this service!" cried the banker, with enthusiasm.

"Well, it is too late to think of it now," said I, rather captiously;
for I began to be worried with the mystification.

"Of course, for the present it is too late; but when you arrive in
Europe, Senhor Conde, when you are once more in the land where your
natural influence holds sway, may we entertain the hope that you will
regard our case with the same favorable eyes?"

"Yes, yes," said I, with impatience, "if I see no reason to change my
opinions."

"Upon the subject of the original