me, M. Germain!" replied the Chourineur, becoming serious.
"You do not like to see me laugh at this; do not let us add another
word. I must let all out with you, and so, perhaps, force you to shake
my hand."

"I have no doubt of that; for, in spite of the crime of which you are
accused, and of which you accuse yourself, all in you bespeaks so much
courage and frankness that I am convinced you are charged unjustly;
strong suspicions may exist, but I am sure that is all."

"Oh, as to that you are mistaken, M. Germain!" said the Chourineur,
hastily; "on my word as a man, and as true as I have a protector,"--the
Chourineur took off his cap,--"who is more than all the world to me, I
robbed at night by forcing the shutter, and was caught in the fact and
deprived of all I was endeavouring to carry off."

"But want--hunger--pushed you to such an extremity?"

"Hunger! I had one hundred and twenty francs when they apprehended me,
the remains of a note of one thousand francs, without including the
protector I have mentioned to you, who, by the way, does not know that I
am here, but will not let me want for anything. Since, however, I have
mentioned him to you, you must suppose I am in earnest, for you must
know that he is a man to go on your knees before. So I must tell you,
too, that the shower of blows which I drummed on the Skeleton's sconce
was a sketch after his style, copied from nature. The idea of the
robbery was on his account; and, in fact, if you were not strangled by
the Skeleton, it is through him."

"But this protector?"

"Is yours also."

"Mine!"

"Yes, M. Rodolph protects you. When I say monsieur, I should say
monseigneur, for he is at least a prince; but I have a habit of calling
him M. Rodolph, which he permits me to do."

"You are under some mistake," said Germain, more and more surprised; "I
do not know the prince."

"Yes, but he knows you. You don't believe it? Well, that's possible, for
that's his way. He knows that there is some worthy fellow in trouble,
and then, in an instant, the good fellow is comforted, and, without
being seen or known, he is at work, and kindness falls from the skies,
like a tile from a house on your head. So patience, and one day or other
you will have your tile."

"Really, what you say amazes me!"

"Ah, you'll have a great deal more to amaze you yet! To return to my
protector: Some time ago, after a service which he persisted I had done
him, he procured me a splendid