chief of the
Franks reflect instead of continuing.

After a few seconds of silence, Charles resumed: "During the century and
a half and more that we have reigned in fact, we the stewards of the
palace ... of what earthly use have the kings been, the descendants of
Clovis?"

"Have I not heard you say a hundred times that those do-nothings spend
their time drinking, eating, playing, hunting, sleeping in the arms of
their concubines, going to church and building churches in atonement for
some crime committed in the fury of their drunkenness?"

"Such has been the life of those 'do-nothing' kings--well named such. We
the stewards of the palace govern in fact. At every assembly of the
Field of May, we pulled one of our royal mannikins out of his residence
of Compiegne, of Kersey-on-the-Oise, or of Braine. We had him set up in
a gilded chariot drawn by four oxen according to the old Germanic
custom, and, with a crown upon his head, a scepter in his hand, purple
on his back, his face ornamented with a long artificial beard, if he had
no beard, so as to impart to him a certain degree of majesty, the image
was promenaded around the Field of May, and received the pledge of
homage from the dukes, counts and bishops, gathered at the assembly from
all parts of Gaul.... The comedy over, the idol was thrust back into its
box until the next year. But what useful purpose can these mummeries
serve? He only should be king who governs and fights. Consequently, as I
have no taste for what is superfluous, I have suppressed the royalty....
I confiscated the King."

"You deserve to be praised for that, Charles; the Frankish kings
descended from Clovis, have inspired me with hatred and contempt--"

"But whence the hate?"

Berthoald blushed and puckered up his brows: "I have always hated
idleness and cruelty."

"The last one of these kings, Thierry IV, dead now eighteen months, left
a son behind ... a child of about nine years.... I had him deported to
this abbey--"

"What do you purpose to do with him?"

"To keep him.... We Franks are fickle folks. For a century and a half we
fell into the habit of despising the kings that one time we
worshipped.... Accordingly, when the first Field of May took place
without the royal mummery, not one of the dukes and bishops missed the
idol that was absent from the feast. This year, however, some did ask
where was the king; and others answered: 'What is the use of the king?'
It may, nevertheless, ha