Did you receive Blanka's letter,--the one she wrote you from Trieste in November ?" "No," replied the prince, much astonished at what he had just heard; "and I recently sent to her, by Vajdar, her allowance of fifteen thousand scudi for the current quarter." "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the marchioness, "a most affectionate and devoted foster-son you have there! Your letters pass through his hands and are, according to your directions, opened by him.

As to this last letter of Blanka's, however, he must have forgotten to deliver it, and he counts himself blameless if a remittance of fifteen thousand scudi, directed to a person whose address cannot be found, goes astray.

Really he has a genius for roguery.

But you needn't get angry with him.

The money has not gone out of the family: he spent it on diamonds for me.