Year: 1868

1t was In the year 1854, while the
civil war between Don Carlos and Is
abella was raging in Spain, that was
sent on a secret mission by our gov
ernment to that country. 1 had not
long received my appointment to the
position have since held, and was
not little proud of this proof Of the
confidence rePosed in me, There
were many French agents employed
by our government in Spain, to watch
and report upon the progress of af-
fairs These men, who passed under
assumed names, moved to and fro
upon various pretexts, never. staying
long in one place, but were always
kept in communication with Paris
by means of travellers, who, like my
self, were from time to time debuted
to meet them, as though accidentally.
You will ask why they did not COM
municate with our Minister at Mad
rid? That might have been laid
open to suspicion. But by the system
adopted, all dispatches or documents
in Writing were dispensed with, and
the traveller who seemed to meet
them casually at the hotel, or i'll the
diligence, giving the pass-sign, re-
ceived their Information verbally, and
carried 1t in his head as well as he
could back again to Paris.


We were especially cautioned to en-
cumber ourselves with as little lug
gage as possible, and each one before
he started arranged the name by
which he was to be known-always
an assumed one-and the character
he was to represent. Ny name on
this occasion was to be "Jean Brissot,
agriculturist." the town of my birth
being given as the place of my resi-
dence. 1t was to be in search of a
| younger brother who was supposed
to have ventured in one of the con-
tending armies but whose immedi-
ate return to France was required
most urgently, owing to the death OF
a near relative, possessed of much
wealth. My passport set forth the
necessary particulars. I need not tell
you that before starting carefully
divested myself of everything that
bore traces of my real name and adj
dress. My clothes were all new, and
my linen was conspicuOusly marked
with my adopted designation not a
scrap of paper or note book of any
kind could attest my real name or
avocation. ] was on the point of
starting, when a little note from my
mother, containing just her blessing
and a prayer for my safety, was put
into my hand. was yet reading it,
when summons came to attend the
Minister to receive his last instruc-
tiOns. The little note was crushed
into my breast pocket, and there it
lay unheeded, if not forgotten.


had not long crossed the frontier
when my troubles began. A party OF
the Carlist guerrillas had established
themselves on the road to Madrid,
and no conveyance would venture for
any money I could offer. So for q
week, till the guerrillas were dispers-
: ed, or had chosen another field fol
their exploits, was kept close pris-
oner at the little frontier town Of T.
at the same place was staying an
old gentleman who entered warmly
into my professed object in visiting
Spain, and gave me much good advice
as to the avoidance of the many dan
gers to which an unwary traveller
might be exposed. 1 was certain, be
said to be watched-efforts would be
made everywhere to draw me into
conversation on political affairs, but


as valued my life, 1 must avoid al


such temptations. At the end Of the
week, L accepted the offer of a person
who had hired a conveyance for him
! self, to proceed another stage or twC