"To his amazement, I did not haggle, but produced New York bills for the amount and spread them on the table.
"There,' I said. 'Now tell me what is the next step to be taken, according to the constitution of the country.'
"He took pen and ink, and a sheet of paper, and wrote something.
"'This,' he explained, 'is a decree, appointing you Provisional President during my indisposition, and announcing that there will be a plébiscite to elect my successor on Sunday next. In the meantime, if you cultivate the friendship of the Minister for War——'
"'Certainly. I will give him another cheque payable to bearer,' I interposed.
"'In that case he will send soldiers to see that the result of the plébiscite is favourable to you.'
"'And this decree?'
"'Shall be sent to the Government printers at once, and placarded in the course of half an hour. In the meantime, as I see that the members of my household are now returning from the bank, I trust that your Excellency, the Provisional President, will have lunch with me.'
"Need I say that I accepted the invitation. It was a magnificent meal, served in a large and stately dining-hall. I sat at the head of the table, with the ex-President on my right and the War Minister on my left. It was, perhaps, the supreme moment of my life—the moment when I attained the zenith of my earthly fortune. But alas for the mutability of human beings!
"We lunched at leisure like epicures, slowly enjoying the flavour of the soup, the fish, the cutlets, the poultry, and the salad. In two hours' time we had arrived at the dessert without any untoward incident; but just as we had got to the bananas and the sweet champagne, we heard the loud noise of a disturbance outside the Palace walls—a noise of firearms and of vigorous human voices.