212 Ten Years of my Life. 



them all the time. General Echegaray lived in the same 

 house. 



In the afternoon I had a very long conversation with the 

 Emperor. He spoke to me about his family and his relations 

 with it, how unfortunately he was situated, and what he in- 

 tended to do when he came to Europe. He spoke also of his 

 mother with great love, and requested me to tell her so. I felt 

 extremely sad, for I had a strong presentiment that I now saw 

 him for the last time. . 



When it was nearly eight o'clock the Emperor gave me his 

 signet ring. If I succeeded with Palacios 1 was to return it as 

 a token. Then I left with a very heavy heart and filled with 

 anxiety, for I had before me a task of the highest importance, 

 which I had to accomplish with very insufficient means — two 

 bits of paper, of which the meaning was scarcely known to the 

 person with whom I had to deal. 



Colonel Palacios was an Indian without any education, who 

 could scarcely read or write. He was a brave soldier, had dis- 

 tinguished himself, and won the confidence of his superiors, who 

 employed him as a kind of provost-marshal, who had to super- 

 intend military executions. He had a young wife, who had 

 just given him his first child, in whom the father was entirely 

 wrapped up ; and as he was poor, I hoped that his care for 

 the future of that child might induce him to entertain my pro- 

 position. 



The Colonel saw me home. 1 invited him to the parlour. 

 He followed, and I began to speak of the Emperor, in order 

 to ascertain how he ielt in reference to him, and whether I had 

 any chance of success. He said that he had been a great 

 enemy of the Emperor ; but after having been so long about 

 him, and having witnessed how good and nobly he behaved in 

 his misfortune, and looked in his true, melancholy blue eyes, 

 he felt the greatest sympathy, if not love and admiration ior 

 him. 



After this introductory conversation, which lasted about 

 twenty minutes, with a trembling heart I came to the point. 

 It was a most thrilling moment, on which indeed hung the liie 

 or death of a noble and good man, who was my friend and 

 Emperor. I said that I had to communicate to him something 

 which was of the utmost importance to both of us ; but, before 

 doing so, I must ask him whether he vaould give me his word 



