I NEVER UNDERSTOOD ETIQUETTE.’ 2\J

life, Victor Emmanuel was like a schoolboy în vacation ; no danger could daunt him, no fatigue could depress his spirits. He bas often gone the whole day without food, having taken nothing but a cup of coffee early in the morning, and not returned to supper till a late hour in the evening.

Senator Plezza relates an amusing little anecdote which is characteristic of Victor Emmanuel. Just at the beginning of the war of 1859 Signor Plezza was appointed governor of Alessandria; but, on hearing that the Emperor of the French was expected to call there, begged to be excused, on the plea that he was unfit to reçoive a foreign sovereign. Count Cavour said he had need of him in that post, and refused to cancel the appointment. Plezza then appealed to the king, saying that he understood nothing of étiquette, and could not represent his sovereign.

‘ Is it possible } ’ said Victor Emmanuel.

‘ It is true, your majesty ; I never corne to court but on public busines.s, and I am quite ignorant of the étiquette necessary for such an occasion.’

‘You understand absolutely nothing of étiquette.^’ asked the king again.

‘ Nothing, sire.’

‘ Then since it is so, give me your hand. You are entirely fitted to represent me, for neither did I ever understand étiquette.’

One day one of his ministers spoke of an appointment he had just made to some public office. The king took up a publication in which the newly-appointed

gentleman, writing in the Republican interest, had formerly attacked the king in a satirical poem. ‘ Did you know that he was the author of this ? ’ he asked, showing the production.

‘ No, your majesty ; of course not. I will cancel the appointment.’

But it was not in Victor Emmanuel’s leonine nature to take such a paltry revenge on the ex-republican.

‘ No, we will cancel the poem rather,’ he said with a smile ; ‘ let the poor devil stand.’

There was a patrician family reduced to poverty by the gambling propensities of the father, and some friend of the house introduced one of the children into the king’s presence. He patted her head, kissed her, and put a small gift in her hand. Then looking round to see that no one was observing him, he took notes for a large sum and fastened them in the child’s plaits, saying, ‘ Let no one unpin your hair but mamma ; you understand, dear } ’

A young French officer, maimed so as to render him unfit for service, had been nursed in the house of a gentleman at Ferrara, and during his convalescence he and the daughter of the house had fallen desperately in love ; but as neither the lady nor the gentleman had any provision for the future, the case seemed hopeless. The romantic story being told to the king, he gave the officer a pension and the girl a small dote, to enable them to marry.

But our space îs running short and we must stop, though we could relate many more anecdotes illustra-