and
revolving in my mind where I should spend my evening, when I was
accosted by a police agent making some inquiry about my passport.

"By the way," said I, "I never was in Austria before, but in France I
have been accustomed to give a gensdarme a couple of francs to take my
passport to the bureau of the police to be _vise_."

"Herr Englaender can pursue the same plan here," was the polite
rejoinder. "I shall be happy to oblige him."

Glad to be relieved of the bother, I handed him the document. He
briefly compared my person with the description, and then queried:

"And the boy?"

"He is sick and has retired; but if you desire it, you shall see him."

"No need--a boy is no great matter"; and the courteous official, with a
bow that would have graced a D'Orsay, was gone.

To the Grand Opera House, the largest in the world, I bent my steps,
and in an hour was revelling in Mme. Garcia's thrilling notes, when a
hand was laid on my shoulder and a grim, moustached, soldier-like
fellow whispered in my ear:

"Your passport, Herr Englaender."

"It is gone to the police bureau to be _vise_. I sent it from the Hotel
d'Hollande by an officer."

For the moment he withdrew, and burning with shame, for every eye was
upon me, I turned defiantly to the stage.

"Will the Herr ride or walk?" came again the voice in my ear.

"What do you mean?"

"The Herr must go immediately to the Hotel d'Hollande. That is all."

I expostulated, but a storm of hisses from those near enough to be
interrupted in their enjoyment of the music decided me, and I angrily
rose.

"I am at your service, sir."

We walked on without a word.

Never shall I forget the face of the fat little Dutch landlord as we
entered--surprise, sympathy, fear alternately lighting his countenance
as he poured forth a polyglot expression of his excited feelings. In
French, English, Dutch, and German he assured us he was desolated,
miserable, abandoned. Ah, but it was a good young Englaender. It was
true he had never seen the passport; he knew he should have asked for
it himself when his noble friend first came to the house; but, _bete
brouillant_ that he was, he had forgotten it.

Then followed a conference between the landlord and the officer,
resulting in my being called aside by the former and receiving the
following valuable advice:

"My dear sir, you have made a most never-to-be-sufficiently deplored
mistake. But see. Satisfy this zealous officer with a bo