set upon it at Viroflay, not the value I
should set upon it at Frankfort.

"I will say one thousand francs; that is, I will undertake it at a
hundred, if you will get it put into a case of some sort."

The other officers now offered various objects, either for sale or
transport--pictures, vases, clocks, and even pianos. Ralph haggled
over the price of each article, in a way which would have done
honor to his appearance. At last--having arranged all their
matters--he said that he was going on to Bellevue; but would call
and complete the purchases, and receive the goods entrusted to him,
either that night or the next morning.

"If any of you gentleman would kindly give me your card, to give to
the officer of the regiment at Bellevue, saying that you have found
me fair in my dealing, I should feel very grateful," Ralph said,
humbly.

The officer laughed, but one of them took out his card, and wrote
upon it:

"Dear Von Koch, this man is--for a Hebrew--tolerably fair in his
ideas."

"That is for the major of the regiment, at Bellevue," he said; and
Ralph bowed, as if he had received a recommendation of the warmest
kind.

"I was beginning to be alarmed, Ralph," Percy said, when his
brother again took his place in the wagon.

"I have been haggling over prices," Ralph said. "Fortunately, we
are not pressed for time."

They had another stop, of some duration, at Chaville; and it was
nearly three o'clock in the afternoon before they came down to the
back of Bellevue. Here they were stopped and, upon Ralph producing
his pass, an officer came up.

"You cannot go any farther," he said. "You are close to Bellevue,
now; but if you were to take this wagon into the main road, you
would draw Valerien's fire upon us, at once.

"You will find most of the officers there," pointing to a large
house, near.

"I have this card, for Major Von Koch," Ralph said. "I am here to
buy, or carry home on commission, goods of all kinds."

The officer went with Ralph; and the scene at Viroflay was
repeated, but upon a much larger scale. Viroflay is a small
village, containing only a few large villas; Bellevue is composed
almost entirely of handsome residences, owned by Parisians. The
quantity of articles "saved" was proportionately large.

After examining and bargaining for a large number of valuable
articles of furniture, pictures and clocks; Ralph left, with some
of the officers, to view other articles in the villas upon the side