only the sequel of the other humbug."

"The sequel of the other humbug!" Gracious mercy! thought I, getting
pale with horror, is it thus he ventures to designate my attachment to
his sister?

"Come, come, it's all over now. What the devil could have persuaded you
to push the thing so far?"

"Really, I am so completely in the dark as to your meaning that I only
get deeper in mystery by my chance replies. What do you mean?"

"What do I mean! Why, the affair of last night of course. All Munich is
full of it, and most fortunately for you, the king has taken it all in
the most good-humoured way, and laughs more than any one else about it."

Oh, then, thought I, I must have done or said something last night during
my illness, that I can't remember now. "Come, Kilkee, out with it. What
happened last night, that has served to amuse the good people of Munich?
for as I am a true man, I forget all you are alluding to."

"And don't remember the Greek Loan--eh?"

"The Greek Loan!"

"And your Excellency's marked reception by his Majesty? By Jove though,
it was the rarest piece of impudence I ever heard of; hoaxing a crowned
head, quizzing one of the Lord's anointed is un peu trop fort."

"If you really do not wish to render me insane at once, for the love of
mercy say, in plain terms, what all this means."

"Come, come, I see you are incorrigible; but as breakfast is waiting all
this time, we shall have your explanations below stairs."

Before I had time for another question Kilkee passed his arm within mine,
and led me along the corridor, pouring out, the entire time a whole
rhapsody about the practical joke of my late illness, which he was
pleased to say would ring from one end of Europe to the other.

Lord Callonby was alone in the breakfast-room when we entered, and the
moment he perceived me called out,

"Eh, Lorrequer, you here still? Why, man, I thought you'd have been over
the frontier early this morning?"

"Indeed, my lord, I am not exactly aware of any urgent reason for so
rapid a flight."

"You are not! The devil, you are not. Why, you must surely have known
his majesty to be the best tempered man in his dominions then, or you
would never have played off such a ruse, though I must say, there never
was anything better done. Old Heldersteen, the minister for foreign
affairs, is nearly deranged this morning about it--it seems that he was
the first that fell into the trap; but seriously speaking,