l I put, 'Liberty, equality, fraternity'?"

"Or death," added Roland.

"No," said Bonaparte; "give me the pen."

He took the pen from Bourrienne's hands and wrote, "Ever yours,
Bonaparte." Then, pushing away the paper, he added: "Address it,
Bourrienne, and send an orderly with it."

Bourrienne wrote the address, sealed it, and rang the bell. An officer
on duty entered.

"Send an orderly with that," said Bourrienne.

"There is an answer," added Bonaparte.

The officer closed the door.

"Bourrienne," said Bonaparte, pointing to Roland, "look at your friend."

"Well, general, I am looking at him."

"Do you know what he did at Avignon?"

"I hope he didn't make a pope."

"No, he threw a plate at a man's head."

"Oh, that was hasty!"

"That's not all."

"That I can well imagine."

"He fought a duel with that man."

"And, most naturally, he killed him."

"Exactly. Do you know why he did it?"

"No."

The general shrugged his shoulders, and said: "Because the man said that
I was a thief." Then looking at Roland with an indefinable expression of
raillery and affection, he added: "Ninny!" Then suddenly he burst out:
"Oh! by the way, and the Englishman?"

"Exactly, the Englishman, general. I was just going to speak to you
about him."

"Is he still in France?"

"Yes, and for awhile even I thought he would remain here till the last
trumpet blew its blast through the valley of Jehosaphat."

"Did you miss killing him?"

"Oh! no, not I. We are the best friends in the world. General, he is a
capital fellow, and so original to boot that I'm going to ask a bit of a
favor for him."

"The devil! For an Englishman?" said Bonaparte, shaking his head. "I
don't like the English."

"Good! As a people, but individually--"

"Well, what happened to your friend?"

"He was tried, condemned, and executed."

"What the devil are you telling us?"

"God's truth, general."

"What do you mean when you say, 'He was tried, condemned, and
guillotined'?"

"Oh! not exactly that. Tried and condemned, but not guillotined. If he
had been guillotined he would be more dangerously ill than he is now."

"Now, what are you gabbling about? What court tried and condemned him?"

"That of the Companions of Jehu!"

"And who are the Companions of Jehu?"

"Goodness! Have you forgotten our friend Morgan already, the masked man
who brought back the wine-merchant's two hundred louis?"

"No," replied Bonaparte, "I have not forgo