The few days which had elapsed since his interview with don Jaime, were not wasted by General don Miguel Miramón. Decided on playing a last stake, he had not been willing to risk it till he had as far as possible equalized the advantages, even though he might not have all the chances on his side, so as to render the struggle which, whatever its result might be, must be decisive, more favourable to his projects.

Not only did the President actually employ himself in recruiting and organizing his army and placing it on a respectable footing; but in addition, not heeding for himself how injurious the seizure of the six hundred thousand piastres of the Convention bonds in the House of the Consul of that nation was to him, he made energetic efforts to repair the injury which this stroke had done him, and paved the way for a negotiation, by which he pledged himself to refund in London the money he had so unfortunately taken; while alleging as excuse for this audacious act that it was only intended as reprisals against Mr. Mathew, the Chargé d'Affaires of the British Government, whose incessant machinations and hostile demonstrations against the recognized government of Mexico had placed the President in the critical position in which he now found himself. As a proof of this statement, he declared, as was true, that after the battle of Toluca there had been found among the baggage of General Degollado, who was made prisoner in that affair, a plan for attacking Mexico, written by Mr. Mathew himself—a fact that constituted an act of felony on the part of the representative of a friendly government.

The President, in order to give greater force to this declaration, showed the original of this plan to the foreign ministers residing in Mexico, and then had it translated and published, in the official journal. This publication had produced all the effect the President anticipated from it, and, by increasing the instinctive hatred of the population for the English nation, regained him the sympathies of a few.

Miramón then redoubled his efforts, and, at length succeeded in arming eight thousand men—a very small number against the twenty-four thousand who menaced him—for General Huerta, whose conduct had for some time past been marked with hesitation, at length decided on leaving Morelia at the head of four thousand men, who, joined to the eleven thousand of González Ortega, the five thousand of Gazza Amondia, and the four thousand of Aureliano Carvajal and Cuéllar, formed an effective strength of twenty-four thousand men, who were advanced by forced marches on Mexico, and would speedily appear before the city. The situation became more critical with every moment. The population, ignorant of the President's plans, were agitated by the most lively terror, expecting at any moment to see the heads of the Juarist columns debouch, and to undergo all the horrors of a siege.

In the meanwhile, Miramón, who was anxious before all not to lose the esteem of his countrymen, and to calm the exaggerated fears of the population, resolved on convoking the ayuntamiento. He then strove, by a speech full of courage, to make these representatives of the population of the capital understand that it had never been his intention to await the enemy behind the walls of the city—that, on the contrary, he had determined to go and attack them in the open country, and that, whatever might be the result of the battle he proposed to fight, the city would have no cause to fear a siege. This assurance slightly calmed the fears of the population, and stopped, as if by enchantment, the tentatives at disorder, and the seditious cries which the hidden partizans of Juárez secretly excited among the groups assembled in the squares, which were constantly stationed there for the last two or three days, and even bivouacked there at night.

When the President believed that he had taken all the prudential measures which circumstances demanded to attack the enemy without too marked a disadvantage, while leaving in the city the requisite forces to keep it in subordination, he assembled a last council of war, to discuss the most suitable plan for surprising and defeating the enemy. This council of war lasted several hours. A number of projects was proposed, some of which, as always happens under such circumstances, were impracticable—and others which, had they been adopted, might possibly have saved the government.

Unfortunately, on this day, General Miramón, usually so sensible and prudent, allowed himself to be carried away by his personal resentment, instead of considering the true interests of the nation.

Don Benito Juárez is a lawyer. We will mention, in passing, that, since the proclamation of Mexican Independence, he is the sole President of the Republic who has not emerged from the ranks of the army, or belonged to the magistracy. Now, Juárez, not being a soldier, could not place himself at the head of his army. Hence, he had temporarily established his residence at Veracruz, which he had made his capital, and appointed don González Ortega Commander-in-Chief, with the most extensive powers as regarded questions of military strategy, trusting entirely to special knowledge and experience for the conduct of the war. But he had completely held back the diplomatic question in his own hands, not wishing that General Ortega, a brave soldier but very bad negotiator, should compromise, by misplaced generosity, the success which he anticipated from his cautious And crafty policy. It was General Ortega by whom Miramón had been defeated at Silao. The resentment at this defeat had remained ever present in the President's heart: and he felt the most lively desire to wash out the insult he had received on that occasion. Hence, forgetting his habitual prudence, and contrary to the advice of his wisest councillors, he insisted, in the council, that the first attack should be directed against the corps, at the head of which was Ortega.

The motives he alleged in order to have this resolution adopted, though rather specious, were not absolutely deficient in logic. He declared that if he succeeded in defeating Ortega, the Commander-in-Chief, at the head of the largest corps, demoralization would break out in the enemy's army, and they would have an easy victory over them. The President sustained his opinion with so much eloquence and obstinacy, that he overcame the opposition of the members of the council, and caused the plan he had conceived to be definitively adopted; and once this decision was formed, the general, not wishing to lose a moment in putting it in execution appointed for the morrow a review of all the troops, and fixed the departure for the same day, so as not to let the enthusiasm of his soldiers grow cold.

When the council finally broke up, the President withdrew to his apartments, in order to make his final arrangements, set his affairs in order, and burn certain compromising papers which he did not wish to leave behind him. The President had been shut up in his apartments for some hours; the evening was advanced when the usher on duty announced don Jaime. He at once ordered him to be shown in. The adventurer entered.

"You will permit me to go on, will you not?" the President said with a smile; "I have only a few more papers to arrange, and then I shall have finished."

"Do so, pray, General," the adventurer said, seating himself in a butaca.

Miramón resumed his momentarily interrupted occupation. Don Jaime gazed at him for a moment with an expression of indescribable melancholy.

"So," he said, "your resolution is decidedly formed, General?"

"Oh, the dye is cast. I have crossed my Rubicon, I would say, were it not ridiculous for me to compare myself with Caesar. I am going to offer my enemies battle."

"I do not blame that resolution, for it is worthy of you, General. Will you permit me to ask when you propose setting out?"

"Tomorrow, immediately after the review I have ordered."

"Good: in that case I have time to send out two or three intelligent scouts, who will inform you of the enemy's exact position."

"Although several have already started, I gratefully accept your offer, don Jaime."

"Now, be kind enough to tell what direction you intend to follow, and the corps you have resolved to attack."

"I intend to take the bull by the horns; that is to say, González Ortega himself."

The adventurer shook his head, but did not venture the slightest observation. He merely said, "Very good."

Miramón left his writing table and sat down by his side. "There that is finished," he said; "now I am at your service. I guess that you wish to make up some important communication; so speak, don Jaime, I am ready to hear you."

"You are not mistaken, General; I have, indeed, a matter of the utmost importance to communicate to you. Be good enough to read this paper."

And he handed the President a folded document. The President took it, read it without displaying the slightest sign of surprise, and then returned it to the adventurer. "Have you read the signature?" he said.

"Yes," he replied coldly; "it is a letter of credit given by don Benito Juárez to don Antonio Cacerbar, recommending the latter to his adherents."

"It is really so, General; you have now no doubts left as to that man's treachery?"

"None."

"Pardon me for asking, General, but what do you intend doing?"

"Nothing."

"What, nothing?" he exclaimed with unaffected surprise.

"No, I shall do nothing," he added.

The adventurer looked stupefied.

"I do not understand you, Excellency," he muttered.

"Listen to me, don Jaime, and you will understand me," the President answered in a gentle and penetrating voice: "don Francisco Pacheco, ambassador Extraordinary of the Queen of Spain, has rendered me immense services since his arrival in Mexico. After the defeat of Silao, when my position was most precarious, he did not hesitate to recognize my government. Since then he has offe............