d n't your Princess,--the world calls her
yours ["How good of the world, and how delicate of your friend!" said
she, smiling superciliously. "Let us see who the writer is. Oh! a great
man,--the Lord Adderley," and went on with her reading:] couldn't your
Princess find out something of real consequence to us about the Q----"

"What queen does he mean?" cried she, stopping.

"The Queen of Sheba, perhaps," said Upton, biting his lips with anger,
while he made an attempt to take the letter from her.

"Pardon! this is interesting," said she, and went on:

"We shall want it soon; that is, if the manufacturing districts will
not kindly afford us a diversion by some open-air demonstrations and a
collision with the troops. We have offered them a most taking bait, by
announcing wrongfully the departure of six regiments for India; thus
leaving the large towns in the North apparently ungarrisoned. They are
such poltroons that the chances are they 'll not bite! You were right
about Emerson. We have made his brother a Bishop, and he voted with us
on the Arms Bill. Cole is a sterling patriot and an old Whig. He
says nothing shall seduce him from his party, save a Lordship of the
Admiralty. Corruption everywhere, my dear Upton, except on the Treasury
benches!

"Holecroft insists on being sent to Petersburg; and having ascertained
that the Emperor will not accept him, I have induced the K----to
nominate him to the post. 'Non culpa nostra,' etc. He can scarcely vote
against us after such an evidence of our good-will. Find out what will
give most umbrage to your Court, and I will tell you why in my next.

"Don't bother yourself about the Greeks. The time is not come yet, nor
will it till it suit our policy to loosen the ties with Russia. As
to France, there is not, nor will there be, in our time at least, any
Government there. We must deal with them as with a public meeting, which
may reverse to-morrow the resolutions they have adopted to-day. The
French will never be formidable till they are unanimous. They 'll never
be unanimous till we declare war with them! Remember, I don't want
anything serious with Cineselli. Irritate and worry as much as you can.
Send even for a ship or two from Malta; but go no farther. I want this
for our radicals at home. Our own friends are in the secret. Write me a
short despatch about our good relations with the Two Sicilies; and send
me some news in a private letter. Let me have some ortolans in the ba