e me, or to add
with much fervour that I was a villain!

He might have said more, but the courtiers, perceiving that the King
broke at last into a smile, lost all control over themselves, and giving
vent to loud peals of laughter, clasped one another by the shoulders and
reeled to and fro in an ecstasy of enjoyment. The King gave way also and
laughed heartily, clapping me again and again on the back, so that in
fine there were only two serious faces to be seen, that of the poor
Boisrose, who took all for lunatics, and my own. For my part I began to
think that perhaps the jest had been carried far enough.

My master presently saw this, and collecting himself, turned to the
amazed Gascon. "Your complaint is one," he said, "which should not be
lightly made. Do you know the Baron de Rosny?"

Boisrose, more and more out of countenance, said he did not.

"Then," said the King, "I will give you an opportunity of becoming
acquainted with him. I shall refer your complaint to him, and he will
decide upon it. More!" he continued, raising his hand for silence as
Boisrose, starting forward, would have appealed to him, "I will
introduce you to him now. This is the Baron de Rosny."

The old soldier glared at me for a moment with starting eye-balls, and a
dreadful despair seemed to settle on his face. He threw himself on his
knees before the King. "Then, sire," said he in a heartrending voice,
"am I ruined? My six children must starve, and my young wife die by the
roadside!"

"That," answered the King, gravely, "must be for the Baron de Rosny to
decide. I leave you to your audience."

He made a sign to the others, and, followed by them, walked slowly along
the terrace, the while Boisrose, who had risen to his feet, stood
looking after him like one demented, muttering in a voice that went to
my heart that it was a cruel jest, and that he had bled for the King,
and the King made sport of him.

Presently I touched him on the arm. "Come, have you nothing to say to
me, M. de Boisrose?" I asked quietly. "You are a brave soldier and have
done France service: why then need you fear? The Baron de Rosny is one
man, the King's minister is another. It is the latter who speaks to you
now. The office of Lieutenant Governor of Angouleme is vacant. It is
worth twelve thousand livres by the year. I appoint you to it."

He murmured with a white face that I mocked him and that he was going
mad; so that it was long before I could persuade him th