is mistake and withdrawn."

"What does your Excellency suggest was this mistake?" inquired the
Secretary.

"You have had your report, sir, and surely it was complete. You must
know that he conceived himself to be knocking at the gates of the
monastery of the Dominican fathers."

"Can your Excellency tell me what was this officer's business at the
monastery of the Dominican fathers?" quoth the Secretary, his manner
frostily hostile.

"I am without information on that point," O'Moy admitted; "no doubt
because the officer in question is missing, as you will also have been
informed. But I have no reason to doubt that, whatever his business may
have been, it was concerned with the interests which are common alike to
the British and the Portuguese nation."

"That is a charitable assumption, Sir Terence."

"Perhaps you will inform me, Dom Miguel, of the uncharitable assumption
which the Principal Souza prefers," snapped O'Moy, whose temper began to
simmer.

A faint colour kindled in the cheeks of the Portuguese minister, but is
manner remained unruffled.

"I speak, sir, not with the voice of Principal Souza, but with that of
the entire Council of Regency; and the Council has formed the opinion,
which your own words confirm, that his Excellency Lord Wellington is
skilled in finding excuses for the misdemeanours of the troops under his
command."

"That," said O'Moy, who would never have kept his temper in control but
for the pleasant consciousness that he held a hand of trumps with which
he would' presently overwhelm this representative of the Portuguese
Government, "that is an opinion for which the Council may presently like
to apologise, admitting its entire falsehood."

Senhor Forjas started as if he had been stung. He uncrossed his black
silk legs and made as if to rise.

"Falsehood, sir?" he cried in a scandalised voice.

"It is as well that we should be plain, so as to be avoiding all
misconceptions," said O'Moy. "You must know, sir, and your Council must
know, that wherever armies move there must be reason for complaint.
The British army does not claim in this respect to be superior to
others--although I don't say, mark me, that it might not claim it with
perfect justice. But we do claim for ourselves that our laws against
plunder and outrage are as strict as they well can be, and that where
these things take place punishment inevitably follows. Out of your own
knowledge, sir, you must admit that what I sa