into the territory of the Elector of B——­, and met Monsieur de Schmetterling, and passed my sword twice through his body; then rode back with my second, the Chevalier de Magny, and presented myself at the Duchess’s whist that evening.  Magny was very unwilling to accompany me at first; but I insisted upon his support, and that he should countenance my quarrel.  Directly after paying my homage to her Highness, I went up to the Countess Ida, and made her a marked and low obeisance, gazing at her steadily in the face until she grew crimson red; and then staring round at every man who formed her circle, until, ma FOI, I stared them all away.  I instructed Magny to say, everywhere, that the Countess was madly in love with me; which commission, along with many others of mine, the poor devil was obliged to perform.  He made rather a SOTTE figure, as the French say, acting the pioneer for me, praising me everywhere, accompanying me always! he who had been the pink of the mode until my arrival; he who thought his pedigree of beggarly Barons of Magny was superior to the race of great Irish kings from which I descended; who had sneered at me a hundred times as a spadassin, a deserter, and had called me a vulgar Irish upstart.  Now I had my revenge of the gentleman, and took it too.

I used to call him, in the choicest societies, by his Christian name of Maxime.  I would say, ‘Bon jour, Maxime; comment vas-Tu?’ in the Princess’s hearing, and could see him bite his lips for fury and vexation.  But I had him under my thumb, and her Highness too—­I, poor private of Bulow’s regiment.  And this is a proof of what genius and perseverance can do, and should act as a warning to great people never to have secrets—­if they can help it.

I knew the Princess hated me; but what did I care?  She knew I knew all:  and indeed, I believe, so strong was her prejudice against me, that she thought I was an indelicate villain, capable of betraying a lady, which I would scorn to do; so that she trembled before me as a child before its schoolmaster.  She would, in her woman’s way, too, make all sorts of jokes and sneers at me on reception days; ask about my palace in Ireland, and the kings my ancestors, and whether, when I was a private in Bulow’s foot, my royal relatives had interposed to rescue me, and whether the cane was smartly administered there,—­anything to mortify me.  But, Heaven bless you!  I can make allowances for people, and used to laugh in her face.  Whilst her jibes and jeers were continuing, it was my pleasure to look at poor Magny and see how he bore them.  The poor devil was trembling lest I should break out under the Princess’s sarcasm and tell all; but my revenge was, when the Princess attacked me, to say something bitter to him,—­to pass it on, as boys do at school.  And that was the thing which used to make her Highness feel.  She would wince just as much when I attacked Magny as if I had been saying anything rude to herself.  And, though she hated me, she used to beg my pardon in private; and though her pride would often get the better of her, yet her prudence obliged this magnificent princess to humble herself to the poor penniless Irish boy.