weary frame; so, after pacing
restlessly about the room for a while, he concluded to occupy himself in
writing a letter to his good old Pierre; he had promised to apprise him
of his arrival in Paris. He was careful that the handwriting should be
very large, clear, and distinct, for the faithful old servant was not
much of a scholar, and addressed him as follows:

MY GOOD PIERRE:--Here I am at last, actually in Paris, the great
capital, where, according to general belief, I am to fall in with some
sort of good fortune or other, that will enable me to re-establish the
ancient prosperity of my house--though in truth I cannot see where I am
to look for it. However, some happy chance may bring me into relations
with the court, and if I could only get to speak to the king--the great
dispenser of all favours--the important and famous services rendered
by my ancestors to his royal predecessors would surely incline him to
listen to me with indulgence and interest. His gracious majesty could
not, it seems to me, suffer a noble family, that had devoted all their
possessions to the service of king and country, in many wars, to die
out so miserably, if once he knew of it. Meantime, for want of other
employment, I have taken to acting, and have made a little money
thereby--part of which I shall send to you, as soon as I can find a good
opportunity. It would have been better perhaps if I had enlisted as
a soldier; but I could not give up my liberty, and however
poverty-stricken a man may be, his pride revolts at the idea of putting
himself under the orders of those whom his noble ancestors used to
command. The only adventure worth relating that has befallen me since
I left you was a duel that I fought at Poitiers, with a certain
young duke, who is held to be invincible; but, thanks to your good
instructions, I was able to get the better of him easily. I ran him
through the right arm, and could just as well have run him through the
body, and left him dead upon the field, for his defence was weak and
insufficient--by no means equal to his attack, which was daring and
brilliant, though very reckless--and several times he was entirely at
my mercy, as he grew heated and angry. He has not been so thoroughly
trained to preserve his sang-froid, whatever may happen, as I, and I now
appreciate, for the first time, your wonderful patience and perseverance
in making me a master of the noble art of fencing, and how valuable my
proficiency in it wi