, plack vine."

I pointed to his hat, which was black; he did not understand me; but
on making a gesture that I wanted to drink, he found me perfectly
intelligible. All the buttons of my great coat were twenty-franc
pieces; I gave him one: he asked if they had brought the wine, and
soon afterwards I heard a turnkey say,

"Father Moiselet, I have taken up two bottles for you." The
flesh-coloured coat was then Moiselet. I followed him into his room,
and we began to drink with all our might. Two other bottles arrived;
we only went on in couples. Moiselet, in his capacity of chorister,
cooper, sexton, &c. &c. was no less a sot than gossip; he got tipsy
with great good-will, and incessantly spoke to me in the jargon I had
assumed.

Matters progressed well; after two or three hours such as these I
pretended to get stupid. Moiselet, to set me to rights, gave me a cup
of coffee without sugar; after coffee came glasses of water. No one
can conceive the care which my new friend took of me; but when
drunkenness is of such a nature it is like death--all care is useless.
Drunkenness overpowered me. I went to bed and slept; at least Moiselet
thought so; but I saw him many times fill my glass and his own, and
gulp them both down. The next day, when I awoke, he paid me the
balance, three francs and fifty centimes, which, according to him,
remained from the twenty-franc piece. I was an excellent companion;
Moiselet found me so, and never quitted me. I finished the
twenty-franc piece with him, and then produced one of forty francs,
which vanished as quickly. When he saw it drunk out also he feared it
was the last.

"Your button again," said he to me, in a tone of extreme anxiety, and
yet very comical.

I showed him another coin. "Ah, your large button again," he shouted
out, jumping for joy.

This button went the same way as all the other buttons, until at
length, by dint of drinking together, Moiselet understood and spoke my
language almost as well as I did myself, and we could then disclose
our troubles to each other. Moiselet was very curious to know my
history, and that which I trumped up was exactly adapted to inspire
the confidence I wished to create.

"My master and I come to France--I was tomestic--master of mein
Austrian marechal--Austrian with de gelt in family. Master always
roving, always gay, joint regiment at Montreau. Montreau, oh, mein
Gott, great, great pattle--many sleep no more but in death. Napoleon
coom--p