Suddenly. Mr. Tillotson's face contracted, a
faint colour came, and a sort of scorn to his
voice. "There are men," he said, "who can
only be dealt with in one way—on whom all treatment,
except a good physical appeal, is sure to
be thrown away. I am never sorry for having
given such a lesson—never!"

Ross's eyes flashed fury. "How do you
mean?" he said. "Pray explain."

The most gentle, piteous, and mournfullest
appeal in the world, was made to Mr. Tillotson
from the softest and most appealing face. It
seemed to say, "Ah, no, for my sake! Think of
him as a poor hunted worried outcast, against
whom is the whole world, and who is fretted
and chafed, and not accountable for what he
says."

Mr. Tillotson's face changed also. He at once
dropped his arms.

"You are right, Mr. Ross," he said. "No
wonder you call me romantic, if not bombastic.
Perhaps I have been reading a great number of
novels lately. It is a resource for people in my
way, so you must make allowance."

The sweetest look of grateful thanks rewarded
this amende. But Ross was not appeased. No
wonder those who knew him slightly said that
he was as "ill-conditioned a boor as ever came
into the world."

Doctor Topham was not heeding this light
talk, but was busy detailing the whole stages
of the Privy Council case. "I saw all the
papers. It was I who advised every step. I had
the bishop by the hand and led him through.
There were fellows here who were for having in
Lushington, and the rest of them. And I assure
you the miserable gang of plotters in the Chapter
here, the hole-and-corner agitators, on every
man of whom I could, at this moment, put my
finger, tried to twist this into a grievance.
But the bishop despised them, and he despises
them now, sir; and all I tell you is, simply, wait,
sir, wait, and at the first opening we shall be
down on the ringleaders."

TRAITS OF REPUBLICAN LIFE.

"WHY, Juan," said I, as I sat examining my
first week's accounts at Carácas, "things are
exorbitantly dear in this land of liberty. There's
that dinner I gave the day before yesterday. It
was a very plain dinner to thirteen, and they
have charged twenty-three pounds for it! That's
a charge one might expect in London with real
turtle, ten kinds of fish, and as many courses;
but here we had nothing very much beyond the
usual table d'hôte fare, except, indeed, a turkey
—yes, there was a turkey, and——"

"Things are dear, sir," interrupted Juan,
"and if they weren't so in a general way they
would be to us. Why, there is not a man,
woman, or child in the whole city that doesn't
know we brought two boxes of gold to La
Guaira, and that you are a comisionado."

"And what difference does that make? The
gold was for the government, as everybody
knows. And if any man ought to be careful of
money, and to examine well into accounts, it
should be a financial commissioner."

"Well, sir," replied Juan, "that's one view,
and I'm not a going to say that it's a wrong
one; but it's not a Creole view. Sir, it's of no
manner of use being too honest out here, for no
one gets the credit of it. As for government
business, there's, perhaps, more cheating in
that than in anything, for it's a kind of proverb,
'La mejor hacienda es el Gobierno mal administrado'
—'The best estate is the government
ill administered.' So, no offence, sir, but if
you would really like to know what is thought,
I'll be bound the general opinion is, that being
a very sensible man, you won't part with those
boxes of gold without keeping a cuartillo for
yourself out of every real, and of course they
think that when you have such a lot of money
you ought to leave some of it behind for the
good of the country. As for the bill, the rules
for marketing here, is, 'get all you can, and
make him who has most, pay most.'"

So saying, Juan walked off with the intention
of passing the morning at various friends'
houses. In the evening, at my dinner-hour, he
would show himself again for a short time, after
which I should see nothing of him till next day.
This free and easy style of service is regarded as
quite the correct thing in Venezuela: a country
which might, indeed, be called the paradise of
servants, were the name of servant applicable at
all to the vagrant gentlemen and ladies who pay
you short visits to replenish their purses and
wardrobes, leave you without notice, and severely
repress any attempt to communicate with them
as to your domestic arrangements. But you may
talk with them on general topics, such as the
weather or the theatre, and on politics you may
be as expansive as you please, for where any one
may become a general or a president in a few
days that subject is universally interesting. The
doctrine of perfect equality is so well carried
out, that, in one of the best houses where I was
a guest, the gentleman who cleaned the boots
always came into my room with his hat on and a
cigar in his mouth; and another gentleman whom
I engaged to assist Juan, left me the day after his
arrival, on being refused the custody of my keys
and purse, which he candidly stated was, the
only duty he felt equal to. At dances, as soon
as the music strikes up in the drawing-room,
the servants begin to waltz in the passages and
ante-rooms, and as entertainments are almost
always on the ground floor, and generally in
rooms looking into the street, the great
"unwashed" thrust their naked arms and greasy
faces between the bars of the windows and
criticise the dancing with much spirit. I have
seen a gentleman in rags leaning into a window
from the street with his bare arms almost touching
those of a beautifully dressed lady, while
his most sweet breath fanned her tresses. On
another occasion I was talking to some ladies
at an evening party, when a worthy sans-culotte
jerked in his head so suddenly to listen to our