Year: 1874

When Serrano was Regent Of Spain,
among the on dts that passed current
was the following;


Madame Serrano, as wife OF the Re
gent, occupied the apartments in the
royal palace of the ex Queen, and no
doubt she was we'll pleased with her resi-
dence, for the rooms we're most luxu-
riously furnished. But soon after the
Regents occupancy of the palace lsa-
bella demanded the restitution Of such
of her private property as it contained,
and the Spanish nation was in no wise
disposed to withhold anything from her
that she could justly lay claim to; all
was to be forwarded to her to the very
last article.


Load after load of boxes and bales was
carted to the depot, to be forwarded to
Isabella by rail, and among the articles
sent there were not few that the new
occupants of the palace were very sorry
to be deprived Of. After a time the ex-
Queen made demand for several things
that we're wanting, especially for piano
that musical association, of which she
had been the patroHess, had presented
her with


The instrument was very richly orna-
mented with gold, and bore on the front
side beautiful medallion set with dia.
monds. 1t was placed by Isabella when
she left Madrid for watering place near
the French line, in her private apart
ments. But Madame Serrano knew
nothing of it-had not seen it-and the
whole palace was ransacked for the lost
piano, yet it was nowhere to be- found.
The dethroned queen, however, insisted
that the valued souvenir should be
restored to her. The consequence was
that the situation became embarrassing
for Serrano visa-vis Of his aforetime
patroness, and all the more so as it was
said that the piano was in the late
queens apartments when the Serrano
family moved into them. Serrano even
hunted through the palace himself for
the lost instrument, and, although
Madame Serrano assured him that it
was not in her rooms, he included them
in his search, being haunted by dim
recollection that he had seen it some-
where. Finally his threats and entreaties
drew from his consort the humiliating
confession that she, in momentary pc
cuniary embarrassment, had sold the
piano. The scene that followed in the
Serrano household is said to have been
much more animated than edifying; but
the Regent knew now, at least, where to
look for the missing souvenir, which
was a great point gained.


He Immediately sent confidential
agent to the purchaser, in order to buy
it back again; but-0 monstrous!-the
instrument had already become so de-
moralized, so plebeian, as to be the in
mate of a coffee house. after having
been robbed of its costly ornamentation
Of gold and diamonds, which had been
disposed of to jeweler. What was to
be done2 The chronique scandaleuse
of Madrid had already taken up the
subject, and therefore there was no time
to lose. Serrano agent repaired to the
coffee house and offered double the sum
for the piano that was paiG for 1t; but
the cunning landlord declared he could
not do without it, and consented to part
with it only when five times the sum he
had paid was offered him.


Now the jeweler was hunted up, and
he was found to have as sharp an eye to
business as the cofee.house man. de
expressed thousand regrets that he had
already melted up the gold and disposed
of the diamonds; be added, however,
that it would be possible to reproduce
the ornamentation even to the smallest
detail, as, on account of the beauty OF
its design, he had made careful sketch
of it. This statement looked rather i'm
probable; but the piano must be forth
coming, cost what it would, and that,
too. exactly in its original dress, in or
der to avoid the threatened scandal.
The jewelers. demands we're acceded to,
and in remarkably short space OF time
the instrument, carefully packed, was
returned to the palace, where it is said
to have been finally discovered in an
outofthe-way corner, together with
other of the ex.Queen's personal belong
ings.


When the fearfully-mistuned piano,
that had cost the Regent so much
money, and had made him so much
trouble, was finally forwarded to its
owner be felt greatly relieved. And the
piano, however much out of tune it was,
probably found its wonted harmony
sooner than did the little domestic circle
il which it had caused such an unhar-
monious intermezzo.-If Translated for
Appleton's Journal