218 * Ten Years of my Life. 



* But, General,' I replied, I assure you the ministers had 

 nothing whatever to do witl\ my plan, and would not have 

 dared support it.' 



' I know that,' he said, contemptuously ; 'and just because 

 they are such cowards they may go/ 



' But, General, the Emperor will then be utterly alone, and 

 without anyone to assist him in his last arrangements.* 



' What good,' he burst out, * can such old women be to a 

 man ? Pretty people are the ministers ! Two of them have 

 already run away without even waiting for their baggage.' 



These two frightened representatives were, ot course, Baron 

 Lago and Mr. Hooricks. All the officers of Escobedo laughed 

 at them, and the General himself told me later in Mexico, that 

 if one of these men had requested him to see the Emperor and 

 take leave of him, he would not and could not have refused. 

 But they did not even make the attempt, and Baron Lago ran 

 off with the codicil to the Emperor's last will unsigned ! 



I of course have not the slightest scruple in stating that I 

 consider the behaviour of these gentlemen as contemptible as 

 possible, and that I fully subscribe what the Emperor said 

 about the w/jrepresentative of Austria ; but if they or anyone 

 else should doubt that General Escobedo expressed himself so 

 undiplomatically about these diplomatists, I appeal to the 

 General himself, who is not the man to deny what he said ; 

 and to his whole staff, who heard it, and especially to Colonel 

 Doria. 



I saw nothing was to be done at present, and I had to leave 

 Escobedo's head-quarters. These had been removed long ago 

 from the Hacienda de Herecules to the city, and were only a 

 few houses from mine in the same street. As I saw the omin- 

 ous carriage with four mules before my door, I went there of 

 course, expecting that time would be granted to me to prepare 

 and go upstairs. I was about entering the door of my house, 

 which was ajar, when a little captain, who escorted me, shut 

 the door, and made a movement to seize my arm. This exaspe- 

 rated me. I felt as if I had become suddenly six inches taller 

 and that I became deadly pale. As quick as lightning I drew from 

 under my dress my little revolver, and pointing it at the breast 

 of the horrified captain, I cried, ' Captain, touch me with one 

 finger and you are a dead man !' 



The captain protested that he did not intend any force, but 



