tury. The worthy landlord
had also ordered a fresco to be painted on his inn to the honor of the
Virgin. She was depicted standing upon the crescent moon, and her aid
was invoked by the good man in rhyme to protect the house "from
lightning's rod, O thou Mother of God! From rain and fire, and sickness
dire;"--but, alas! there was no mention of thieves.

We were deploring the fact when the worthy Wirth appeared in person,
attended by a slim youth in blue-and-silver uniform, whom he introduced
to us with considerable emphasis as representing the police. The officer
of justice stepped forward and with a low bow took the length and
breadth of the Welschers' offending, and promised that the Austrian
government would do its best to see the distinguished, very noble
Herrschaft righted. We cannot be quite certain that he promised that the
emperor would seek the boots in person, but something was said about
that mighty potentate. At the assurance of governmental interference how
could the British lion fail of being pacified? He declared that the
landlord had acted as a gentleman, shook hands with him, and returning
to the house exchanged his slippers for his second pair of boots--very
inferior in make and comfort to the missing treasures--and then
conferred with the landlord as to the best method for the continuance of
our journey.

The Herr Wirth, with whom and the whole household we had now become
excellent friends, declared that with our unusual amount of luggage the
only plan was a "separat Eilfahrt," which means a separate
express-journey to Bruneck. It had, however, its advantages: we should
travel quickly and with the greatest ease. As we were willing to accede
to his proposition, he handed us over to his clerks in the royal
imperial post-bureau, who, having received a round sum of florins,
filled in and sanded an important document, which being delivered to us
conveyed the satisfactory information that we four individuals, whose
ages, personal appearance and social position the head-official had
magnanimously passed over with a compassionate flourish, were, on this
fourteenth day of June, 1871, to be conveyed to the town of Bruneck in
the caleche No. 1990; which said vehicle would be duly furnished with
cloth or leather cushions, one foot-carpet, two lamps, main-braces,
axletree, etc., including one portion of grease. So far, well and good,
but on our inquiring when the said No. 1990 would be ready to start, the
head-o