uld boldly strut about New-Orleans or New-York,
without submitting to voluntary self-imprisonment in the city of Mexico.
Was he a fraudulent merchant, or a bank-defaulter? Good heavens! such
gentlemen generally assume such a graceful _nonchalance_, or else laugh
at their little transactions so good-naturedly that such a supposition
was ridiculous. Well, then, perhaps he had had a personal difficulty? I
think that is the phrase, is it not, for sending a fellow-mortal on his
last long journey? What of that? that even would be no reason for
concealment, for once in Mexico, what had he to dread? Thus I went on,
tormenting my mind with suppositions and conjectures without end, until
at last I resolved to dispel my apparently inextricable tangle of
mystery by taking a walk, as soon as I had finished my breakfast.
Accordingly I sallied forth, turned my steps toward the Alameda, and at
no great distance from one of the fountains I sat down on a bench,
beneath the shade of one of the grand old trees.

II.

'The Alameda, during the early part of the day, is perhaps the most
unfrequented spot in the whole city of Mexico; in fact, almost deserted.
It would be, therefore, unsafe to traverse, were it not that the absence
of victims insured the stray loiterer against any well-grounded fear of
robbers. Great, therefore, was my surprise at hearing, shortly after I
had taken my seat, two persons in animated conversation behind the spot
which I had selected. A thicket of climbing plants and prickly cactuses
alone separated me from them; but while it prevented me from catching
even a glimpse of their persons, I lost not one word of their
conversation.

''Pedro,' said a full, sonorous voice, 'I am by no means satisfied with
you. In the management of this business, you have shown a carelessness
that I can not tolerate. Why, zounds! your acquaintance with Pepito was
a most excellent pretext for gaining access to the enemy's camp. You
might have pretended to be very anxious about Pepito, who I most
heartily wish was at the devil, and what could be more natural than
going to make inquiry after him?'

''Well, General, the fact is this,' said the invisible individual, who
had been addressed as Pedro, 'much as I am attached to Pepito, I am by
no means anxious to have a bullet through my brains.'

''Bullet through your brains! what do you mean?'

''Simply what I say. Now, look here, Senor General, the other day, last
Friday, I succeeded in