Going to Mexico. 175 



When I told old Mr. Hube that I intended to go to ]\Iexicc, 

 he opposed my purpose very much, and became quite excited 

 about it. He said he would do all in his power to prevent 

 me from doing such a rash thing. He was responsible for me, 

 he said ; I had been placed in his house by my husband, and 

 he would not suffer me to commit any such absurdity. 



Now I had been received into his family with the utmost 

 kindness, both Mr. Hube and his wife had treated me as their 

 child, and I therefore felt, grieved to be obliged to do anything 

 which displeased them so much. However, there are certain 

 impulses which it is impossible to resist, and against which all 

 reasons are powerless. On this occasion I felt as if urged on 

 by invisible hands to follow the voice of my heart. Although 

 I feigned to be convinced by Mr. Hube, yet I was decided to 

 go under any circumstances. 



Mr. Hube and his wife did not, however, trust me, and as 

 he was afraid I might abscond during the night, he not only 

 locked the gate, but took the key with him into his room. It 

 was necessary therefore to wait until the morning, when the 

 stable servants came at six o'clock, and the house was open. 

 I then stole from my room accompanied by my chamber-maid, 

 Margarita, and my faithful four-legged companion, Jmimy. 

 However, Mr. Hube was on the look-out, and when I was just 

 leaving the house ke came from behind a corner, stood before 

 me with a very dark long foce, and said, ' Well, Princess ! ' 

 I only answered, ' Good-morning, Mr. Hube,' and passed on 

 towards Mexico. He took, however, another road, and when 

 I came to the main rpad I found him there waiting for me. 



'Where are you going?' he asked. I told him that I was 

 going to Mexico, but without mentioning anything about my 

 dreams (at which he would only have laughed), or of my in- 

 tention. He now, commenced again a new assault. He said 

 that I might be killed, or run other risks amongst the soldiers ; 

 and for two mortal hours he exhausted his whole arsenal of 

 common-sense arguments, which of course had not the slightest 

 effect upon me, as [ had made up my mind, and was firmly re- 

 solved to have my own way. I thanked him for all his kind- 

 ness, and all the trouble he took about me, but declared that 

 I must and would go. The dear old gentleman turned quite 

 pale and did not say a word more to detain me. I had to 

 v/alk with my maid and Jimmy a league and a half to Chapul- 



