You may fancy that, in my passionate warmth, I have forgotten all about my individual case: no such thing. I have, however, rescued myself from the danger of an apoplexy by opening this safety-valve to my indignation. And now I cannot resume my narrative. No, Tom, "I have lost the scent," and all I can do is to bring you "in at the death." I was sentenced to pay seven hundred zwanzigers,--eight-pences,--all the costs of the procedure, the doctor's bill, and the maintenance of Giacomo till his convalescence was completed. I appealed on the spot to an upper court, and the judgment was confirmed! I nearly burst with indignant anger, and asked my advocate if he had ever heard of such iniquity. He shrugged his shoulders, smiled slightly, and said, "The law is precarious in all countries." "Yes,--but," said I, "the judges are not always corrupt. Now, that old president of the first court suggested every answer to the witness--" "Vincenzio Lamporeccho is a shrewd man--" "What! How do you call him? Is he anything to our friend Giacomo?" "He is his father!" "And the Brigadier who arrested me?" "Is his brother. The junior judge of the Appeal Court, Luigi Lamporeccho, is his first cousin." I did n't ask more questions, Tom. Fancy a country where your butler is brother to the chief baron, and sues you for wages in the Court of Exchequer! "And you, Signor Mastuccio," said I. "I hope I have not exposed you to the vengeance of this powerful family by your zeal in my behalf?" "Not in the least," said he; "my mother was a Lamporeccho herself." Now, Tom, I think I need not take any more pains to explain the issue of my lawsuit; and here I'll leave it. My parting benediction to the Court was brief: "Goodbye, old gentlemen. I 'm glad you have the Austrians here to bully you; and not sorry that _you_ are here to assassinate _them_." This speech was overheard by some learned linguist in court, and on the same evening I received an intimation to quit the Imperial dominions within twenty-four hours. Tiverton was for going up to Milan to Radetzky, or somebody, else, and having it all "put straight," as he calls it; but I would not hear of this. "We 'll write to the Ambassador at Vienna?" said he. "Nor that either," said I. "To the 'Times,' then." "Not a word of it." "You don't mean to say," said he, "that you 'll put up with this treatment, and that you'll lower the name of Briton before these foreigners by such a tame submission?"