reen lad then, and knew nothing about women, but the memory of her
smile as she sat in the cart stayed by me. Afterward I once saw a baby
lying in its coffin, that looked as content as Mamsell Manon did that
day, going to lay her white neck on the block, I grew more reasonable
as time went on and forgot my vexation over my black suit. The Baron
treated me very decently, I can't complain. Later on, though, he
decided we had better part, for I had grown too free in my manners in
Paris, He gave me a good present and if I hadn't had all sorts of bad
luck I might be a rich man now. But it's always so, there's no 'egalite'
in this country, and if we don't have a good revolution it will never be
any different. Though it doesn't always turn out well for everyone even
then, The French grocer who did such a good business with the King's
wine was one of those who could never get enough aristocrats killed; and
finally his own flesh and blood went to her death for the sake of one of
them. If misfortune is bound to come there's no getting out of it, and
it came to me the time they said I belonged to that band of thieves
there was such a talk about. I defended myself well, but all the same I
was put in gaol in Gluckstadt, and there's no knowing how long I might
have stayed there if it hadn't been for a lucky chance that brought the
Danish king to see the prison, along with a lot of fine gentlemen.
All of us convicts had to stand in rank and file while old Friedrich
inspected us. And who should be behind the King but my Baron, with white
hair and bent back, and a great star on his breast. They were going
slowly past us, when I coughed, and he started and came close to me. 'Do
I not know you?' he said, and I laughed a little. 'Herr Baron, do you
remember the story of my best black suit?' He looked rather queer and
drew his hand across his forehead as if he were wiping something off,
and passed on. The next day one of the wardens took me to the Baron's
house, and he asked why I was in prison. When he had heard all about it,
he sighed and spoke softly to himself and then sighed again. At last he
got up and put his hand on my arm. 'You knew her, Franz, and because you
knew her------' he could get no further and I was taken away, and soon
after pardoned out. So I saw that the Baron remembered my confirmation
suit; and ten years after I saw him again in Kiel, in a bath-chair, for
he couldn't walk. I went to see him and he sent me ten thalers, a