e him but I must go with him to
Constantinople; but there he and I quarrelled--more fools, both of us!
I wrote to you from Constantinople."

"We never got the letter."

"I can't help that; I wrote. But there I was on the wide world again.
So I took up with a Russian prince, whom I met at a gambling-table
in Pera,--a mere boy, but such a plucky one,--and went with him to
Circassia, and up to Astrakhan, and on to the Kirghis steppes; and
there I did see snakes."

"Snakes?" says Mary. "I should have thought you had seen plenty in
India already."

"Yes, Mary! but these were snakes spiritual and metaphorical. For,
poking about where we had no business, Mary, the Tartars caught us,
and tied us to their horses' tails, after giving me this scar across
the cheek, and taught us to drink mares' milk, and to do a good deal
of dirty work beside. So there we stayed with them six months, and
observed their manners, which were none, and their customs, which were
disgusting, as the midshipman said in his diary; and had the honour of
visiting a pleasant little place in No-man's Land, called Khiva, which
you may find in your atlas, Mary; and of very nearly being sold for
slaves into Persia, which would not have been pleasant; and at last,
Mary, we ran away--or rather, rode away, on two razor-backed Calmuc
ponies, and got back to Russia, _via_ Orenberg,--for which consult
your atlas again; so the young prince was restored to the bosom of his
afflicted family; and a good deal of trouble I had to get him safe
there, for the poor boy's health gave way. They wanted me to stay with
them, and offered to make my fortune."

"I'm so glad you didn't," said Mary.

"Well--I wanted to see little Mary again, and two worthy old gentlemen
beside, you see. However, those Russians are generous enough. They
filled my pockets, and heaped me with presents; that bracelet among
them. What's more, Mary, I've been introduced to old Nick himself,
and can testify, from personal experience, to the correctness of
Shakspeare's opinion that the prince of darkness is a gentleman."

"And now you are going to stay at home?" asked the Doctor.

"Well, if you'll take me in, daddy, I'll send for my traps from
London, and stay a month or so."

"A month!" cried the forlorn father.

"Well, daddy, you see, there is a chance of more fighting in Mexico,
and I shall see such practice there; beside meeting old friends who
were with me in Texas. And--and I've got a little