That evening Hawbury was over at the Baron’s quarters, by special invitation, and the Baron decided to ask his advice.  So in the course of the evening, while in the full, easy, and confidential mood that arises out of social intercourse, he told Hawbury his whole story—­beginning with the account of his first meeting with Minnie, and his rescue of her, and her acceptance of him, down to this very day, when he had been so terribly snubbed by Mrs. Willoughby.  To all this Hawbury listened in amazement.  It was completely new to him.  He wondered particularly to find another man who had saved the life of this quiet, timid little girl.

The Baron asked his advice, but Hawbury declined giving any.  He said he couldn’t advise any man in a love-affair.  Every man must trust to himself.  No one’s advice could be of any avail.  Hawbury, in fact, was puzzled, but he said the best he could.  The Baron himself was fully of Hawbury’s opinion.  He swore that it was truth, and declared the man that followed another’s advice in a love-affair was a “darned fool that didn’t deserve to win his gal.”

There followed a general conversation on things of a different kind.  The Baron again discoursed on church and state.  He then exhibited some curiosities.  Among other things a skull.  He used it to hold his tobacco.  He declared that it was the skull of an ancient Roman.  On the inside was a paper pasted there, on which he had written the following: 

     “Oh, I’m the skull of a Roman bold
       That fit in the ancient war;
     From East to West I bore the flag
       Of S.P.Q. and R.

     “In East and West, and North and South,
       We made the nations fear us—­
     Both Nebuchadnezzar and Hannibal,
       And Pharaoh too, and Pyrrhus.

     “We took their statutes from the Greeks,
       And lots of manuscripts too;
     We set adrift on his world-wide tramp
       The original wandering Jew.

     “But at last the beggarly Dutchman came,
       With his lager and sauerkraut;
     And wherever that beggarly Dutchman went
       He made a terrible rout.

     “Wo ist der Deutscher’s Vaterland? 
       Is it near the ocean wild? 
     Is it where the feathery palm-trees grow? 
       Not there, not there, my child.

     “But it’s somewhere down around the Rhine;
       And now that Bismarck’s come,
     Down goes Napoleon to the ground,
       And away goes the Pope from Rome!”

CHAPTER XVIII.

“HE SAVED MY LIFE.”

“I can’t bear this any longer!” exclaimed Mrs. Willoughby.  “Here you are getting into all sorts of difficulties, each one worse than the other.  I’m sure I don’t see why you should.  You’re very quiet, Minnie dearest, but you have more unpleasant adventures than any person I ever heard of.  You’re run away with on horseback, you’re shipwrecked,