e soldier went hastily to open it, and
saw the servant's stupid face.

"Why don't you answer, when I ask who knocks!" said the soldier,
angrily.

"M. Dagobert, you sent me away just now, and I was afraid of making you
cross, if I said I had come again."

"What do you want? Speak then--come in, stupid!" cried the exasperated.
Dagobert, as he pulled him into the room.

"M. Dagobert, don't be angry--I'll tell you all about it--it is a young
man."

"Well?"

"He wants to speak to you directly, Mr. Dagobert."

"His name?"

"His name, M. Dagobert?" replied Loony, rolling about and laughing with
an idiotic air.

"Yes, his name. Speak, idiot!"

"Oh, M. Dagobert! it's all in joke that you ask me his name!"

"You are determined, fool that you are, to drive me out of my senses!"
cried the soldier, seizing Loony by the collar. "The name of this young
man!"

"Don't be angry, M. Dagobert. I didn't tell you the name because you
know it."

"Beast!" said Dagobert, shaking his fist at him.

"Yes, you do know it, M. Dagobert, for the young man is your own son. He
is downstairs, and wants to speak to you directly--yes, directly."

The stupidity was so well assumed, that Dagobert was the dupe of it.
Moved to compassion rather than anger by such imbecility, he looked
fixedly at the servant, shrugged his shoulders, and said, as he advanced
towards the staircase, "Follow me!"

Loony obeyed; but, before closing the door, he drew a letter secretly
from his pocket, and dropped it behind him without turning his head,
saying all the while to Dagobert, for the purpose of occupying his
attention: "Your son is in the court, M. Dagobert. He would not come
up--that's why he is still downstairs!"

Thus talking, he closed the door, believing he had left the letter
on the floor of Marshal Simon's room. But he had reckoned without
Spoil-sport. Whether he thought it more prudent to bring up the rear,
or, from respectful deference for a biped, the worthy dog had been the
last to leave the room, and, being a famous carrier, as soon as he saw
the letter dropped by Loony, he took it delicately between his teeth,
and followed close on the heels of the servant, without the latter
perceiving this new proof of the intelligence and sagacity of
Spoil-sport.

CHAPTER XLVI. THE ANONYMOUS LETTERS.

We will explain presently what became of the letter, which Spoil-sport
held between his teeth, and why he left his master, when the latter ran