mination. At this moment there is a haunch of venison roasting for dinner. The cook is so ignorant that, without my directions, this haunch will be scorched to a cinder. Now I swear that, unless you instantly reveal to me this secret, without any reservation whatever, I will resign the venison to its fate. I will, by all that is sacred!"

The venison could not be exposed to a more fiery trial than was Mr. Commissioner Pig; the venison, when alive and hunted, could not have perspired more profusely, nor trembled in more anguish. But there was no alternative. His "morals" gave way before his "passions," and after binding his wife and daughter by an oath, he communicated the state secret. By the same or similar methods so many other wives assailed the virtue of their husbands, that in a few hours the limited scheme of mystery adopted by the council was realized on the most extensive scale; for before nightfall not merely a few members of the council, but every man, woman, and child in the place, had been solemnly bound over to inviolable secrecy.

Meantime some members of the council, who had an unhappy leaning to skepticism, began to suggest doubts on the authenticity of the commissioner's news. Of old he had been celebrated for the prodigious quantity of secret intelligence which his letters communicated, but not equally for its quality. Too often it stood in unhappy contradiction to the official news of the public journals. But still, on such occasions, the commissioner would exclaim, "What then? Who believes what newspapers say? No man of sense believes a word the newspapers say." Agreeably to which hypothesis, upon various cases of obstinate discord between his letters and the gazettes of Europe, some of which went the length of pointblank contradiction, unceremoniously giving the lie to each other, he persisted in siding with the former, peremptorily refusing to be talked into a belief of certain events which the rest of Europe had long ago persuaded themselves to think matter of history. The battle of Leipsic, for instance, he treats to this hour as a mere idle chimera of visionary politicians. "Pure hypochondriacal fiction!" says he. "No such affair ever could have occurred, as you may convince yourself by looking at my private letters; they make no allusion to any transaction of that sort, as you will see at once-none whatever." Such being the character of the commissioner's private correspondence, several councilmen were disposed, on reflection, to treat his recent communication as very questionable and apocryphal, among whom was the chairman or mayor; and the next day he walked over to Pig-house for the purpose of expressing his doubts. The commissioner was so much offended, that the other found it advisable to apologize with some energy. "I protest to you," said he, "that as a private individual I am fully satisfied; it is only in my public capacity that I took the liberty of doubting. The truth is, our town chest is miserably poor, and we would not wish to go to the expense of a new covering for the council table upon a false alarm. Upon my honor, it was solely upon patriotic grounds that I sided with the skeptics." The commissioner scarcely gave himself the trouble of accepting his apologies. And, indeed, at this moment the mayor had reason himself to feel ashamed of his absurd scruples; for in rushed a breathless messenger to announce that the blue landau and the "superb whiskers" had just passed through the north gate. Yes, Fitz-Hum and von Hoax were positively here-not coming, but come; and the profanest skeptic could no longer presume to doubt; for, while the messenger yet spoke, the wheels of Fitz-Hum's landau began to hum along the street. The mayor fled in affright, and with him fled the shades of unbelief.

This was a triumph, a providential coup-de-théâtre, on the side of the true believers. The orthodoxy of the Piggian epistolary intercourse was now forever established. Nevertheless, even in this great moment of his existence, Pig felt that he was not happy, not perfectly happy; something was still left to desire, something which reminded him that he was mortal. "Oh, why," said he, "why, when such a mass of blessings is showered upon me, why must destiny ordain that it come one day too soon-before the Brussels carpet was laid down in the breakfast-room, before the-" At this instant the carriage suddenly rolled up to the door; a dead stop followed, which put a dead stop to Pig's soliloquy; the steps were audibly let down; and the commissioner was obliged to rush out precipitately in order to do the honors of reception to his illustrious guest.

"No ceremony, I beg," said the Count Fitz-Hum. "For one day at least let no idle forms remind me of courts, or banish the happy thought that I am in the bosom of friends!" So saying, he stretched out his hand to the commissioner; and though he did not shake Pig's hand, yet, as great men do, he pressed it with the air of one who has feelings too fervent and profound for utterance; while Pig, on his part, sank upon one knee, and imprinted a grateful kiss upon that princely hand which had by its condescension forever glorified his own.

Von Hoax was no less gracious than the Count Fitz-Hum, and was pleased repeatedly, both by words and gestures, to signify that he dispensed with all ceremony and idle consideration of rank.

The commissioner was beginning to apologize for the un

finished state of the preparations, but the count would not hear of it. "Affection to my person," said he, unseasonable affection, I must say it, has, it seems, betrayed my rank to you; but for this night at least, I beseech you, let us forget it." And upon the ladies excusing themselves from appearing, on the plea that those dresses were not yet arrived in which they could think of presenting themselves before their sovereign-" Ah, what?" said the count gaily; "my dear commissioner, I cannot think of accepting such excuses as these." Agitated as the ladies were at this summons, they found all their alarms put to flight in a moment by the affability and gracious manners of the high personage. Nothing came amiss to him; everything was right and delightful. Down went the little sofa-bed in a closet, which they had found it necessary to make up for one night, the state-bed not being ready until the following day; and with the perfect high-breeding of a prince, he saw in the least mature of the arrangements for his reception, and the least successful of the attempts to entertain him, nothing but the good intention and loyal affection which had suggested them.

The first great question which arose was, At what hour would the Count Fitz-Hum be pleased to take supper? But this question the Count Fitz-Hum referred wholly to the two ladies; and for this one night he notified his pleasure that no other company should be invited. Precisely at eleven o'clock the party sat down to supper, which was served on the round table in the library. The Count Fitz-Hum, we have the pleasure of stating, was in the best health and spirits; and, on taking his seat, he smiled with the most paternal air, at the same time bowing to the ladies who sat on his right and left hand, and saying, "Where can one be better off than in the bosom of one's family?" At which words tears began to trickle down the cheeks of the commissioner, overwhelmed with the sense of the honor and happiness which were thus descending upon his family, and finding nothing left to wish for but that the whole city had been witness to his felicity. Even the cook came in for some distant rays and emanations of the princely countenance; for the Count FitzHum condescended to express his entire approbation of the supper, and signified his pleasure to von Hoax, that the cook should be remembered on the next vacancy which occurred in the palace establishment.

"Tears, such as tender fathers shed," had already on this night bedewed the cheeks of the commissioner; but before he retired to bed he was destined to shed more and still sweeter tears; for after supper he was honored by a long private interview with the count, in which that personage expressed his astonishment-indeed, he must say his indignation-that merit so distinguished as that of Mr. Pig should so long have remained unknown at court. "I now see more than ever," said he, "the necessity there was that I should visit my states incognito." And he then threw out pretty plain intimations that a place, and even a title, would soon be conferred on his host.

Upon this Pig wept copiously, and upon retiring, being immediately honored by an interview with von Hoax, who assured him that he was much mistaken if he thought that his Highness ever did these things by halves, or would cease to watch over the fortunes of a family whom he had once taken into his special grace, the good man absolutely sobbed like a child, and could neither utter a word nor get a wink of sleep that night.

All night the workmen pursued their labors, and by morning the state apartments were in complete preparation. By