most attentive ear, reached me. The clank of
cavalry advancing at a rapid pace ! It was
impossible for an old soldier to mistake the peculiar
jingle of sword and stirrup, and the deep beat
of many hoofs striking the ground in unison. But
at the same instant the music poured forth
its maddening strains with fresh spirit, and
the sounds I had heard were drowned by the
melody.

"This—this roll of music, captain; I am so
longing to see it. My dear, good aunt! Have
you it here?"

Mademoiselle  Rosalie's sweet voice trembled
as she pronounced these common-place words;
she tried to smile, but her lips quivered, her
eyes were full of tears; I saw her father, under
the shadow of a pillar, watching her keenly and
anxiously from a distance.

"Mademoiselle — you are ill — the heat of the
weather, and—"

"No, no, I am quite well. It was only a silly
fancy. I was impatient to see my aunt's gift,
that was all," said my pretty partner, hurriedly.
Now, it so happened that the gift in question
was in the room; I never liked to let the
despatches out of my sight, and I had hidden in
a comer of the dancing-room the official bag
which contained them, side by side with the
morocco-case that held the princess's precious
music. We were within a few yards of the
nook where these objects lay, and I at once
stepped forward to pick up the morocco-case,
and placed it in the hands of its fair owner,
saying lightly as I did so, " I am sure Princess
Anna would "be gratified could she see—"

When a man, gliding like a serpent along the
wall, darted forward, and rudely snatched the
packet! A scream broke from my partner's lips,
and I grasped the intruder by the arm, but
recoiled, less from the pistol which was presented
at my head, than in sheer surprise.

"Ignatius!"

"Ay, captain," said the courier, whose shrewd
face wore a look of irrepressible triumph. "Ay,
captain, Ignatius, your worship's poor servant.
But the tables are turned now."

At the same moment there was a great clash
of weapons and a wild outcry of voices, and a
servant of the count's, bleeding from a sabre-
cut, rushed groaning in, and fell at his master's
feet. The music came to an abrupt stop, and
the dancers crowded together like a bevy of
frightened wild-fowl. Then followed the tramp
of booted feet, and the saloon was suddenly
filled by Russian soldiers, their swords flashing
in the light of the lustres and lamps. The officer
in command gave some brief orders, and in a
moment every one of the male guests was
secured. So quickly was the work done, that
resistance was impossible, even had there been a
fair chance of repelling force by force. As it
was, the dragoons had an easy task, and while
some of them held their cocked pistols to our
foreheads, their comrades were binding our
wrists tightly together with thongs or cords.
Only one person, so far as I know, was hurt
during the onslaught, and this was the servant
I have spoken of, and who had been sabred in a
futile attempt at giving the alarm.

"I am a British officer, sir, and you will have
to answer for this outrage," said I to the Russian
major, as he passed me, stolid and smiling,
as if the sobs and cries of the terrified women,
and the indignant remonstrances of the captives,
had been soothing to his ear.

The major made no reply, but taking the roll
of music, in its morocco-case, which Ignatius
obsequiously proffered, burst the box open with
the point of his cavalry sword, and deliberately
opened and spread out — not a roll of music, but
a closely-written document, to which were
appended a great number of signatures. The
Russian's yellow moustaches actually appeared to
bristle, like those of a cat springing on its prey,
as his cold blue eyes fell on this paper.

"At last, polish dogs, I have you in my
clutch!" he shouted, as he slapped the
manuscript with his heavy hand; "the council of
war will make short work with your rebellious
lives, for here is the proof of your conspiracy."

"Which this noble English seigneur has
brought from St. Petersburg, like an ass that
knows not what he carries on the pack-saddle,"
said Ignatius, my precious courier, who now
stood revealed in his true colours as a hypocrite
of the first water.

An appalling scene followed. As the prisoners
were dragged away, their wives, sisters, daughters,
clung to them with tears and shrieks, believing
they were to be led off to immediate butchery,
and the poor ladies were driven back, often with
unfeeling violence, by the Russian soldiers.

But no pillage of the castle took place, the
troops being of a regularly disciplined corps, and
the officer too great a martinet to disobey orders.

Tied two and two, we were placed in country
carts and driven off under escort to the citadel
of Warsaw; and it was only by using the name
of the Queen of England, and repeatedly urging
my position of a State messenger, that I could
persuade the Muscovites to let the Foreign-
office despatches accompany me. In the citadel
of Warsaw I spent four-and-twenty miserable
hours, my mind torn by regrets for the kindly
and gentle people who had so lately broken
bread with me, and whose fate was now so
disastrous, and distracted by gloomy forebodings as
to my own future. True, I was safe from bullet
or scourge, from Siberia or death. But a long
detention, coupled with the non-delivery of the
despatches, would be ruin to my prospects in life.

After a time I was admitted to a private interview
with the viceroy, and to my great joy and
surprise was informed that I was free to depart.

"My courier had explained," the prince said,
with a polite smile of dismissal, "the little
ruse of which I had been the victim. There
was no reason longer to impede my journey."

It cost me twenty-six pounds sterling, out of
my own pocket, to hire an extra train; but I
did not grumble, as it enabled me to reach
Vienna in time to escape a reprimand. The
exact fate of the other captives I never knew,
but I believe that they were not very severely