ed company of Louisianais,
Cubans, and Americains, keeping them in a great laugh with his account
of one of Ole Bull's concerts, and how he had there extorted an
invitation from M. and Mme. Devoti to attend one of their famous
children's fancy dress balls.

"Halloo!" said he as Mazaro approached, "heer's the etheerial Angelica
herself. Look-ut heer, sissy, why ar'n't ye in the maternal arms of the
Cafe des Exiles?"

Mazaro smiled amiably and sat down. A moment after, the Irishman,
stepping away from his companions, stood before the young Cuban, and
asked with a quiet business air:

"D'ye want to see me, Mazaro?"

The Cuban nodded, and they went aside. Mazaro, in a few quick words,
looking at his pretty foot the while, told the other on no account to go
near the Cafe des Exiles, as there were two men hanging about there,
evidently watching for him, and--

"Wut's the use o' that?" asked Galahad; "I say, wut's the use o' that?"

Major Shaughnessy's habit of repeating part of his words arose from
another, of interrupting any person who might be speaking.

"They must know--I say they must know that whenever I'm nowhurs else I'm
heer. What do they want?"

Mazaro made a gesture, signifying caution and secrecy, and smiled, as if
to say, "You ought to know."

"Aha!" said the Irishman softly. "Why don't they come here?"

"Z-afrai'," said Mazaro; "d'they frai' to do an'teen een d-these-a
crowth."

"That's so," said the Irishman; "I say, that's so. If I don't feel very
much like go-un, I'll not go; I say, I'll not go. We've no business
to-night, eh Mazaro?"

"No, Senor."

A second evening was much the same, Mazaro repeating his warning. But
when, on the third evening, the Irishman again repeated his willingness
to stay away from the Cafe des Exiles unless he should feel strongly
impelled to go, it was with the mental reservation that he did feel very
much in that humor, and, unknown to Mazaro, should thither repair, if
only to see whether some of those deep old fellows were not contriving a
practical joke.

"Mazaro," said he, "I'm go-un around the caurnur a bit; I want ye to
wait heer till I come back. I say I want ye to wait heer till I come
back; I'll be gone about three-quarters of an hour."

Mazaro assented. He saw with satisfaction the Irishman start in a
direction opposite that in which lay the Cafe des Exiles, tarried
fifteen or twenty minutes, and then, thinking he could step around to
the Cafe des Exil