entleman to proceed either on foot or
with the carriage," said the lieutenant. "I am to ask if he will do
Captain Battleax the honour to come on board and take tiffin with
him. If I could only prevail on you, Mr President." On this I shook
my head in eager denial. "Exactly so; but he will hope to see you on
another occasion soon." I little thought then, how many long days I
should have to pass with Captain Battleax and his officers, or how
pleasant companions I should find them when the remembrance of the
present indignity had been somewhat softened by time.

Crasweller turned upon his heel and walked down the hill with the
officers,--all the crowd accompanying them; while Bunnit and the
bar-keeper had gone off with the horses. I had not descended from
the carriage; but there I was, planted alone,--the President of the
Republic left on the top of the hill in his carriage without means of
locomotion! On looking round I saw Jack, and with Jack I saw also a
lady, shrouded from head to foot in black garments, with a veil over
her face, whom I knew, from the little round hat upon her head, to be
Eva. Jack came up to me, but where Eva went I could not see. "Shall
we walk down to the house?" he said. I felt that his coming to me at
such a moment was kind, because I had been, as it were, deserted by
all the world. Then he opened the door of the carriage, and I came
out. "It was very odd that those fellows should have turned up just
at this moment," said Jack.

"When things happen very oddly, as you call it, they seem to have
been premeditated."

"Not their coming to-day. That has not been premeditated; at least
not to my knowledge. Indeed I did not in the least know what the
English were likely to do."

"Do you think it right to send to the enemies of your country for aid
against your country?" This I asked with much indignation, and I had
refused as yet to take his arm.

"Oh but, sir, England isn't our enemy."

"Not when she comes and interrupts the quiet execution of our laws
by threats of blowing us and our city and our citizens to instant
destruction!"

"She would never have done it. I don't suppose that big gun is even
loaded."

"The more contemptible is her position. She threatens us with a lie
in her mouth."

"I know nothing about it, sir. The gun may be there all right, and
the gunpowder, and the twenty tons of iron shot. But I'm sure she'll
not fire it off in our harbour. They say that each shot costs two