id you first meet Senhor Ruy Peres Y' Hacho?"

"Never saw him in my life."

"Nor held intercourse with him?"

"Never."

"Were not much in his company, nor intrusted to him the secret details
of the expedition?"

"I know nothing of what you're talking about."

"Produce Ruy Peres," said the General; and the door opened, and the
Chevalier, dressed in a military uniform and with several decorations of
foreign orders, entered.

"Do you know this gentleman?" said the General, dryly.

"I know him for a Pole whose name is Alexis Radchoffsky--at least,
under such a name he once lived in London, and is well known to the
police there."

"Go on," said the General to the secretary. "On being confronted with
the Senhor Ruy Peres, the prisoner became suddenly abashed, and at
once confessed that he had known him intimately several years before in
London."

"Is that man a witness against me?" asked I, eagerly.

"Attend to me, sir," said the General, while he made a sign to the
Chevalier to retire. "Neither subterfuge nor insolence will avail you
here. You are perfectly well known to us,--your early history, your late
intrigues, your present intentions."

"With such intimate knowledge of all about me, General," said I,
coolly, "have n't we been wasting a great deal of valuable time in this
interrogatory?"

"And, notwithstanding repeated admonitions, persisted in using the most
indecorous language to the commission." These words the General dictated
in a loud voice, and they were immediately taken down by his secretary.

"Senhor Concregan," said he, addressing me, "you stand now committed,
by virtue of a royal warrant, a copy of which, and of the charges laid
against you, will be duly transmitted to you. Whenever the authorities
have decided whether your offence should be submitted to a civil or
military tribunal, you will be brought up for trial."

"I am an English subject, sir," said I; "I belong to a nation that never
permits its meanest member to be trampled on by foreign tyranny, far
less will it suffer his liberty or life to be sacrificed to a false and
infamous calumny. I claim the protection of my ambassador, or at least
of such a representative of my country as your petty locality may
possess. I desire--" What I was about to demand as my birthright was not
destined to be made public on this occasion, since at a signal from the
General the door opened, and two soldiers, advancing, adjusted handcuffs
on my wrist