HOW I GOT MY OVERCOAT. 159 



" lifted " and changed to the different cards. A 

 more careful neglect of track-covering was never 

 known. The evidence of all his deceptions had 

 been studiously preserved. 



Voisin had given him a dollar to buy some 

 necessary articles, and had left him to his fate. 



The disillusion was complete, and I saw that 

 I had been swindled by a false count even more 

 completely than I ever had been by real barons, 

 — which is much to say. 



Voisin had gathered from the Consul's lawyer 

 that this Stabenow, a valet of the veritable Count 

 Dohna, had been one of a party who had robbed 

 him and committed other serious crimes, and he 

 had fled to this country, with his master's uniform, 

 a valuable wardrobe, and costly jewels. He had 

 here undertaken to personify the Count, and had 

 had on the whole not an unhappy time, especially 

 since he came to New York in recruiting service. 

 He had finally been arrested on the complaint of 

 a lady, one of the many whom he had attempted 

 to blackmail, by threatening exposure through let- 

 ters they had written him in the kindest spirit. 



