“By this stupid flourish the Apostolical party threw themselves bound at the feet of Zea.  All of their persuasion who filled high places under government were without ceremony removed, and their seats filled by Liberals.  Many of them did not escape without more crippling blows.  As for me, I looked on with indifference, or at most some philosophic sneers.  What had I to fear or care?  In my uncle’s estimation, my politics had been always healthy, no doubt; and although he had on more than one occasion hinted, with sarcastic wit, that such a lady’s-man must, of his devoir, be a ’gallant champion of the Salic law,’ and dropped something rude and ill-natured about my English blood,—­still, that was only in his dyspeptic moods; his temper was sure to improve, I fancied, with his political and material digestion.

“But I deceived myself.  When, in the name of the infant Queen, Isabella Segunda, and in honor of the reestablishment of order and public safety, the pleasant duty devolved upon Zea-Bermudez of awarding approbation and encouragement to all the officers, from an ambassador to the youngest attache of foreign legations, and presenting them with tokens of the nation’s happiness in the shape of stars, and seals with heraldic devices, and curious chains of historic significance, not even a paltry ribbon fell to my share, but only a few curt lines of advice, ’to look well to my opinions, and be modest,—­obediently to discharge the duties prescribed to me, and remember that presumption was a fault most intolerable in a young gentleman so favored by chance as to be honored with the confidence of government.’

“That exhausted the little patience I had left.  Savagely I tore the note into contemptible fragments, tossed into my travelling-boxes as much of my wardrobe as happened to be at hand, consigned to a sealed case my diplomatic instructions and all other documents pertaining to my office, placed them in the hands of a confidential friend, Mr. Ballard, the British Agent, and secretly took passage for England, where, without losing an hour, I made the best of my way to the abode of an ambitious cockney wine-merchant, to whose daughter I had not been disagreeable in other days, and within a fortnight married her.  You have seen the lady, Sir,” he said, eyeing me searchingly as he spoke, with a sardonic smile,—­the only ugly expression I ever saw him wear.

“Certain title-deeds and certificates of stock, part of my father’s legacy, which, as if foreseeing the present emergency, I had brought away with me, were easily converted into cash.  I had then twenty thousand sterling pounds, to which my father-in-law generously added ten thousand more, by way of portion with his daughter.