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in these pages I am bound to do), that I won the poor girl's heart
entirely, and, besides, made considerable progress in the German
language under her instruction. Do not think me very cruel and
heartless, ladies; this heart of Lischen's was like many a town in
the neighbourhood in which she dwelt, and had been stormed and
occupied several times before I came to invest it; now mounting
French colours, now green and yellow Saxon, now black and white
Prussian, as the case may be. A lady who sets her heart upon a lad
in uniform must prepare to change lovers pretty quickly, or her life
will be but a sad one.

The German surgeon who attended us after the departure of the
English only condescended to pay our house a visit twice during my
residence; and I took care, for a reason I had, to receive him in a
darkened room, much to the annoyance of Mr. Fakenham, who lay there:
but I said the light affected my eyes dreadfully since my blow on
the head; and so I covered up my head with clothes when the doctor
came, and told him that I was an Egyptian mummy, or talked to him
some insane nonsense, in order to keep up my character.

'What is that nonsense you were talking about an Egyptian mummy,
fellow?' asked Mr. Fakenham peevishly.

'Oh! you'll know soon, sir,' said I.

The next time that I expected the doctor to come, instead of
receiving him in a darkened room, with handkerchiefs muffled, I took
care to be in the lower room, and was having a game at cards with
Lischen as the surgeon entered. I had taken possession of a
dressing-jacket of the lieutenant's, and some other articles of his
wardrobe, which fitted me pretty well; and, I flatter myself, was no
ungentlemanlike figure.

'Good-morrow, Corporal,' said the doctor, rather gruffly, in reply
to my smiling salute.

'Corporal! Lieutenant, if you please,' answered I, giving an arch
look at Lischen, whom I had instructed in my plot.

'How lieutenant?' asked the surgeon. 'I thought the lieutenant was'--

'Upon my word, you do me great honour,' cried I, laughing; 'you
mistook me for the mad corporal upstairs. The fellow has once or
twice pretended to be an officer, but my kind hostess here can
answer which is which.'

'Yesterday he fancied he was Prince Ferdinand,' said Lischen; 'the
day you came he said he was an Egyptian mummy.'

'So he did,' said the doctor; 'I remember; but, ha! ha! do you know,
Lieutenant, I have in my notes made a mistake in you two?'

'Don't talk to me about his malady; he is calm now.'

Lischen and I laughed at this error as at the most ridiculous thing
in the world; and when the surgeon went up to examine his patient, I
cautioned him not to talk to him about the subject of his malady,
for he was in a very excited state.

The reader will be able to gather from the above conversation what
my design really was. I was determined to escape, and to escape
under the character of Lieutenant Fakenham; taking it from him to
his face, as it were, and making use of it to meet my imperious

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