the Minister told her what I had done for the clericoBourbonic cause, and the reason for my journey to Spain, she said—

"The day after to-morrow you may bring me one hundred thousand francs' worth of bonds of the Gaeta Loan. I will give you a cheque on the convent bank."

In ten days, thanks especially to Father Claret and his friend Patrocinio, I had disposed of fifteen hundred thousand francs' worth of bonds.

It is with this dirty garment, which I have seen and touched, that Father Claret and Sister Patrocinio govern Spain. The Queen feels such devotion for Sister Patrocinio's shirt that she has never been without it during her confinements.

In 1864, in the convent directed by Sister Patrocinio, besides twenty-seven young girls who had been disgraced, there were no less than sixteen descendants of Spanish Grandees who were in an interesting condition. As may be imagined, it created great excitement throughout Spain. To screen the real culprits, the King and Father Claret, the sacristan, Don José Malrina, was accused and arrested. They poisoned him, saying that he had committed suicide in order to escape punishment.

I then went to see Marshal Narvaez, with whom I had had several interviews after his marriage to Mademoiselle Tascher during his exile in Paris. I

looked him up, and explained to him the aim of my visit. He listened without interrupting me, and said as soon as I had finished

"The cause of the Bourbons in Naples is lost for want of men. The poor King had around him nothing but cowards and traitors. I will speak in his favour to my banker Monsieur Vargas, Number 2, Place de l'Hotel de Ville, who is also Queen Christina's banker. If he sees the possibility of doing anything he will do it. Come again tomorrow, and I shall give you his answer."

The next day he informed me that the banker Vargas would take Gaeta bonds to the amount of one million fifteen hundred thousand francs at sixty francs.

When I announced this news to the representative of Francis II. he nearly fell backwards.

66

Why, it is impossible!" said he; "how the devil did you manage it? I tell you this business is absolutely incredible to me."

In reply I took Count de San Martino with me to the banker Vargas, with whom he signed the deed by which the King was to receive at Rome, through the banker Torlonia, the sum of nine hundred thousand francs in return for the deposit of one million five hundred francs' worth of bonds of the Gaeta loan. Banker Vargas made six hundred thousand francs by this transaction!

On hearing of this unhoped-for result, Prince Pignaletti wrote me an autograph letter, congratulating me in the name of his master the King, and requesting me to go to Paris, Number 5, Rue Taitbout, to the ex-Ambassador Canofari, with whom I would find orders for another mission entrusted to my zeal and devotion. I left Madrid for Paris.

CHAPTER XLV.

MISSION TO LONDON AND WARSAW.

WHEN I presented myself at the Marquis of Canofari's he acquainted me with the orders which he had received from the Farnese Palace in Rome.

I was to go to London, and there use my utmost endeavours to negotiate a loan on the Farnese Palace, which the King consented to mortgage for the sum of two million francs.

I went to London with full powers to negotiate. To tell the truth, I did not expect to succeed. As I was walking in Regent Street one evening I was accosted by Carreras, a rich Spanish merchant, who owns two large tobacco shops in Regent and Prince's Streets. Carreras invited me to dine at his house, and asked me what had brought me to London.

"I have come to look for money, and am ready to offer as security the Farnese Palace, which the King wishes to mortgage."

T

"Oh! the deuce! If you had come the day before yesterday I could have settled your business in a couple of hours. To-day it is impossible, I am cleaned out; I have just loaned four millions to the Bey of Tunis. But I can get your loan settled with Mr. Holloway, the chemist. Come to my shop in Prince's Street to-night; Holloway will be there from seven to eight o'clock, and we can talk."

At my first word the Englishman said

"I will lend all the King asks in return for a mortgage on the beautiful Farnese Palace."

I succeeded in obtaining this loan without Cardinal Wiseman's aid. On leaving Carreras I dispatched a telegram to Marquis Canofari requesting him to send an agent from the King with the title-deeds and the written authority to borrow. Six days later Count Francis de Latour, first aidede-camp to Francis II., arrived from Rome. Twenty-four hours after his arrival an order for two million francs, minus the commission of two thousand francs, was sent from the counting-house of Mouriet, the banker, and addressed to the banker Torlonia, at Rome, to be paid on sight to the exKing of Sicily.

After visiting the Princes of Orleans, to whom Monsieur Latour remitted letters from Rome, the King's messenger and myself embarked for Belgium. Before reaching Paris we went through Ostend,