followed them with his eyes until they had shut the
door, and when the tapestries had fallen behind them,--"You remind me
by your presence, monsieur, of something I had forgotten to recommend to
you, that is to say, the most absolute discretion."

"Oh! sire, why does your majesty give yourself the trouble of making me
such a recommendation? It is plain you do not know me."

"Yes, monsieur, that is true. I know that you are discreet; but as I had
prescribed nothing----"

The officer bowed. "Has your majesty nothing else to say to me?"

"No, monsieur; you may retire."

"Shall I obtain permission not to do so till I have spoken to the king,
sire?"

"What have you to say to me? Explain yourself, monsieur."

"Sire, a thing without importance to you, but which interests me
greatly. Pardon me, then, for speaking of it. Without urgency, without
necessity, I never would have done it, and I would have disappeared,
mute and insignificant as I always have been."

"How! Disappeared! I do not understand you, monsieur."

"Sire, in a word," said the officer, "I am come to ask for my discharge
from your majesty's service."

The king made a movement of surprise, but the officer remained as
motionless as a statue.

"Your discharge--yours, monsieur? and for how long a time, I pray?"

"Why, forever, sire."

"What, you are desirous of quitting my service, monsieur?" said Louis,
with an expression that revealed something more than surprise.

"Sire, I regret to say that I am."

"Impossible!"

"It is so, however, sire. I am getting old; I have worn harness now
thirty-five years; my poor shoulders are tired; I feel that I must give
place to the young. I don't belong to this age; I have still one foot
in the old one; it results that everything is strange in my eyes,
everything astonishes and bewilders me. In short, I have the honor to
ask your majesty for my discharge."

"Monsieur," said the king, looking at the officer, who wore his uniform
with an ease that would have caused envy in a young man, "you are
stronger and more vigorous than I am."

"Oh!" replied the officer, with an air of false modesty, "your
majesty says so because I still have a good eye and a tolerably firm
foot--because I can still ride a horse, and my mustache is black; but,
sire, vanity of vanities all that--illusions all that--appearance,
smoke, sire! I have still a youthful air, it is true, but I feel old,
and within six months I am certain I shall b