dowry. The King gave the title, and His Highness contributed four hundred thousand florins. When he had it all in his hand the Prince came back to Augsburg, summoned Monsignor Bishop Pancrace, and that evening we were married! When the Court and nobility heard of our marriage they refused to recognize us.

"We continued to live at Augsburg. My husband, who was a Colonel in the Fourth Regiment of Light Cavalry, was obliged to go every day to Munich. My good mother and I used to meet him at the station every evening.

"We had been leading this life for four years when one day, as we were sitting on a bench on the ramparts, a gentleman saw our child playing with his nurse, and stopped to speak to him.

"What is your name, my young friend?'

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My

name is Louis, the same as papa's,' answered my son, boldly.

"And what does your papa do ?'

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My papa is a Colonel of cavalry, monsieur.' "Ah, a Colonel of cavalry!' Then, after a moment's reflection, the gentleman drew the child to him, embraced him, and asked him, 'What are you going to do when you grow up?'

"I shall serve the King, like papa.'

"Then the gentleman turned to me, and rising, said: 'Mademoiselle, I congratulate you on your brother's precocity.'

"He is my son, monsieur.'

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Then, if I am not mistaken, you are the wife of His Highness Prince Louis Max.'

"Yes, monsieur, and that is his son.'

"Next day, while we were at the same place, I saw several carriages rolling along the ramparts. When the first carriage reached my favourite bench it stopped, the door opened, and the gentleman of the day before alighted, accompanied by several ladies and gentlemen. Coming up to me, he said

"I wish to present the Queen to you.'

"A gentleman had seized Louis, and was smothering him with kisses, calling him his son. It was my father-in-law." Her Highness stopped and looked

at me.

"The remainder is not worth repeating."

This remainder which the Princess would not tell me was, that from that day she was admitted to the Bavarian Court, where nothing is done without her opinion being asked. Whilst I had the honour of visiting her at Augsburg many of the King's Ministers called on her or wrote to her for advice.

The

The Queen of Naples having consented to return to Rome, the Cardinal and I left for Munich. Cardinal stopped at the Nunciature, and I at the hotel near the Royal post-office, not far from the famous brewery where His Majesty goes every evening like a simple peasant and drinks his mug of beer.

CHAPTER XLIV.

MISSION TO MADRID.

As at Augsburg, the civil and military authorities called on the Cardinal. The Nuncio (Prince Chigi), the Minister of the Interior (Neumans), and His Majesty the King gave official dinners in his honour. I had the honour to be present at the first two. The Cardinal alone was invited to the King's banquet. His chaplain, his secretary, and myself were only asked to the reception which was held afterwards, at which we were pretty well received, but during which I talked to no one besides Baron de Feistemester, His Bavarian Majesty's secretary, who confirmed Princess Louis Max's story.

Some days later we passed through Switzerland and France, and embarked at Marseilles. The day of our arrival in Rome I had the pleasure of talking with His Eminence Cardinal Antonelli and Ferraris, the Minister of Finance. They both thanked me for my zeal, and congratulated me on the manner in

which I had negotiated the Pontifical loan in London. I replied that their praise should be bestowed on His Eminence Cardinal Wiseman, not on me, and the next day, in the Holy Father's presence, I repeated the same thing.

Francis II., knowing that I was in Rome, and learning from Cardinal Gressallini that I had been at Augsburg, sent his secretary, General Saverino, to summon me to him at the Farnese Palace. I went, and there in the presence of Generals Ulloa, de Clary, Counts Trani, de Trapani, Prince Pignatelli, Baron Cetti, and Prince Iscio, I reminded him of what I had told him at Portici. He asked me news of Italy, France, and Germany. I answered that His Majesty of Italy had been ruined by his proConsuls, and France by Napoleon; but that Germany was on the look-out for some man who would help her to drain off the kinglets who were acting the tyrant. On a sign from the ex-King of Naples, the courtiers all retired, except Count de Trapani. The latter then addressed me, and congratulating me on having procured money for the Holy Father by means of a loan of fourteen millions of francs, begged me to go to Spain where I could place some bonds of the Gaeta loan. On my assenting, he gave me a letter of recommendation to Count de San Martino, the Ambassador of Naples at Madrid, and a thousand francs for my journey. The Roman Court, although

they had come into possession of fourteen millions, gave me only three thousand francs. I confess that this mission was accepted with pleasure, as it procured for me the advantage of visiting the land of Ignatius de Loyola at the expense of the Bourbons.

When I left Rome I was given a mass of letters of recommendation: for the Queen, for the King, the Spanish Grandees, Father Claret, and the celebrated Sister Patrocinio.

On my arrival in Madrid I was entertained at the house of Count de San Martino, Ambassador of the King of Naples (without a kingdom), who, mistaking Baron de Rimini for a person of rank, presented me to the Court and the Ministers, and accompanied me to the celebrated Convent of Alcantara, to see the all-powerful Patrocinio with her fabulous chemise.*

The celebrated Sister received the Ambassador and myself with a certain ceremony, which, in her quality of Superior of the convent, she did not think necessary for the reception of a Minister.

She asked me numberless questions about the Pope, the Cardinals, and many statesmen. When

* Sister Patrocinio-an intriguer by nature was once, as a canteen woman, condemned to a year's imprisonment for theft. She had the boldness to convince Father Claret, the favoured confessor to the Queen, that the Virgin of Toledo had appeared to her in prison, and said " Patrocinio, before long you will leave this place pardoned, and heaped with honours. God gives you the might to heal all the ills of the great who consent to wear devoutly the chemise which you now have on."

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