"Old blue-books and newspapers, nothing else; they 're all make-believes,--a farce to keep up the notion that great activity prevails at the Foreign Office, and to fill up that paragraph in the newspapers, 'Despatches were yesterday sent off to the Lord High Commissioner of the Bahamas,' or 'Her Majesty's Minister at Otaheite.'

Here we are at the rail now,--that's Susa. Be alive, for I see the smoke, and the steam must be up."

They were just in time; the train was actually in motion when they got in, and, as the Colonel, who kept up a rapid conversation with the station-master, informed Tony, nothing would have induced them to delay but having seen himself. "They knew me," said he; "they remembered my coming down here last autumn with the Prince de Carignan and Cavour."

And once more had Tony to thank his stars for having fallen into such companionship.

As they glided along towards Turin, the Colonel told Tony that if he found the "Weazle" gunboat at Genoa, as he expected, waiting for him, he would set him, Tony, and his despatches, down safely at Naples, as he pa.s.sed on to Malta. "If it 's the 'Growler,'" said he, "I 'll not promise you, because Hurton the commander is not in good-humor with me. I refused to recommend him the other day to the First Lord for promotion--say nothing about this to the fellows at the Legation; indeed, don't mention anything about me, except to Damer--for the dinner, you know."

"I suppose I ought to go straight to the Legation at once?" said Tony, as they entered Turin; "my orders are to deliver the bags before anything else."

"Certainly; let us drive there straight,--there's nothing like doing things regularly; I 'm a martinet about all duty;" and so they drove to the Legation, where Tony, throwing one large sack to the porter, shouldered the other himself, and pa.s.sed in.

"Holloa!" cried the Colonel; "I 'll give you ten minutes, and if you 're not down by that time, I 'll go off and order breakfast at the inn."

"All right," said Tony; "this fellow says that Darner is at Naples."

"I knew that," muttered the Colonel to himself; and then added aloud, "Be alive and come down as quick as you can,"--he looked at his watch as he spoke; it wanted five minutes to eight,--"at five minutes past eight the train should start for Genoa."

He seized the small despatch-bag in his hand, and, telling the cabman to drive to the Hotel Feder and wait for him there, he made straight for the railroad. He was just in the nick; and while Tony was impatiently pacing an anteroom of the Legation, the other was already some miles on the way to Genoa.

At last a very sleepy-looking attache, in a dressing-gown and slippers, made his appearance. "Nothing but these?" said he, yawning and pointing to the great sacks.

"No; nothing else for Turin."

"Then why the----did you knock me up,--when it's only a shower-bath and Greydon's boot-trees?"

"How the----did I know what was in them?" said

Tony, as angrily.

"You must be precious green, then. When were you made?"

"When was I made?"

"Yes; when were you named a messenger?"

"Some time in spring."

"I thought you must be an infant, or you 'd know that it's only the small bags are of any consequence."

"Have you anything more to say? I want to get a bath and my breakfast"

"I 've a lot more to say, and I shall have to tell Sir Joseph you 're here! and I shall have to sign your time bill, and to see if we have n't got something for Naples. You 're for Naples, ain't you? And I want to send Darner some cigars and a pot of caviare that's been here these two months, and that he must have smelled from Naples."

"Then be hasty, for heaven's sake, for I'm starving."

"You're starving! How strange, and it's only eight o'clock! Why, we don't breakfast here till one, and I rarely eat anything."

"So much the worse for you," said Tony, gruffly. "My appet.i.te is excellent, if I only had a chance to gratify it."

"What's the news in town,--is there anything stirring?"

"Not that _I_ know."

"Has Lumley engaged Teresina again?"

"Never heard of her."

"He ought; tell him _I_ said so. She's fifty times better than La Gradina. Our _chef_ here," added he, in a whisper, "says she has better legs than Pochini."

"I am charmed to hear it. Would you just tell him that mine are getting very tired here?"

"Will Lawson pay that handicap to George Hobart?"

Tony shook his head to imply total ignorance of all concerned.

"He needn't, you know; at least, Saville Harris refused to book up to Whitemare on exactly the same grounds. It was just this way: here was the winning-post--no, here; that seal there was the grand stand; when the mare came up, she was second. I don't think you care for racing, eh?"

"A steeple-chase; yes, particularly when I'm a rider. But what I care most for just now is a plunge into cold water and a good breakfast."

There was something actually touching in the commiserating look the attache gave Tony as he turned away and left the room. What was the public service to come to if these were the fellows to be named as messengers?

In a very few minutes he was back again in the room. "Where's Naples?"

asked he, curtly.

"Where's Naples? Where it always was, I suppose," said Tony, doggedly,--"in the Gulf of that name."

"I mean the bag,--the Naples bag: it is under flying seal, and Sir Joseph wants to see the despatches."

"Oh, that is below in the cab. I 'll go down and fetch it;" and without waiting for more, he hastened downstairs. The cab was gone. "Naturally enough," thought Tony, "he got tired waiting; he's off to order breakfast."

He hurried upstairs again to report that a friend with whom he travelled had just driven away to the hotel with all the baggage.

"And the bags?" cried the other, in a sort of horror.

"Yes, the bags, of course; but I 'll go after him. What 's the chief hotel called?"

"The Trombetta."

"I don't think that was the name."

"The Czar de Russie?"

"No, nor that"

"Perhaps Feder?"

"Yes, that's it. Just send some one to show me the way, and I 'll be back immediately. I suspect my unlucky breakfast must be prorogued to luncheon-time."