n I trust you, Suth Kurlinian?" said Hugenot, irresolutely; "you had
no money yesterday."

"But I have a plan of raising a thousand francs to-day. What say you?"

"My family have been wont to see the evidence prior to committing
themselves. First show me the specie."

"_Voila!_" cried Plade, counting out forty louis; "the day after
to-morrow I guarantee to own eighteen hundred francs."

It did not occur to Mr. Hugenot to inquire how his friend came to
possess so much money; for Hugenot was not a clever man, and somewhat in
dread of Andy Plade, who, as his school-mate, had thrashed him
repeatedly, and even now that one had grown rich and the other was a
vagabond, the latter's strong will and keen, bad intelligence made him
the master man.

Hugenot's good fortune was accidental; his cargoes had passed the
blockade and given handsome returns; but he shared none of the dangers,
and the traffic required no particular skill. Hugenot was, briefly, a
favorite of circumstances. The war-wind, which had toppled down many a
long, thoughtful head, carried this inflated person to greatness.

They are well contrasted, now that they speak. The merchant, elaborately
dressed, varnished pumps upon his effeminate feet, every hair taught its
curve and direction, the lunette perched upon no nose to speak of, and
the wavering, vacillating eye, which has no higher regard than his own
miniature figure. Above rises the vagabond, straight, athletic and
courageous, though a knave.

He is so much of a man physically and intellectually, that we do not see
his faded coat-collar, frayed cuffs, worn buttons, and untidy boots. He
is so little of a man morally, that, to any observer who looks twice,
the plausibility of the face will fail to deceive. The eye is deep and
direct, but the high, jutting forehead above is like a table of stone,
bearing the ten broken commandments. He keeps the lips ajar in a smile,
or shut in a resolve, to hide their sensuality, and the fine black beard
conceals the massive contour of jaws which are cruel as hunger.

It was strange that Plade, with his clear conception, should do less
than despise his acquaintance. On the contrary, he was partial to
Hugenot's society. The world asked, wonderingly, what capacities had the
latter? Was he not obtuse, sounding, shallow? Mr. Plade alone, of all
the Americans in Paris, asserted from the first that Hugenot was
far-sighted, close, capable. Indeed, he was so earnest in this
en