162 A JACOPITE EXILE

ten to them saying that he wanted a partner with some
capital; and Allan was willing enough to try the life in a
strange country, for he was a shrewd fellow with all his love
of fun. Five years afterwards he came through Gottenburg
again. I did not see him, for my regiment was at Stock-
holm at the time, but he wrote me a letter saying that he
had been in Scotland to marry and bring back one Janet
Black, the daughter of a mercer, whom I remember well
enough as an old flame of his.

“He reported that he was doing well, and that the Poles
were not bad fellows to live among, though less punctual in
their payments than might be wished. He said he did not
suppose that, as a Swedish officer, I should ever be in
Poland, unless Sweden produced another Gustavus Adol-
phus; but if I was, he would be delighted to welcome me,
and that anyone I asked in Warsaw would direct me to his
shop. I wonder that I did not think of him before; but
that is ten years ago, and it had altogether passed out of
my mind till I saw his name here. Unless he is greatly
changed you may be sure of a hearty welcome from Allan
Ramsay for my sake. We need not trouble about the other
names. He will know all about them, and will be able to
put you in the way of getting at them.”

‘his was a great relief to Charlie, who felt that it would
be an immense advantage to have the house of someone,
from whom he might expect a welcome, to go to on his
arrival in Warsaw, and he was able during the day to talk
over the prospects of the journey with Harry Jervoise with
a real sense of interest and excitement in his mission. In
the evening he again went to the house of the minister.
‘The latter, a close observer of men, saw at once that the
young officer was in much better spirits than he had been
in the morning.

“Have you obtained information respecting any of the
persons whose names I gave you?” he asked.