e a scramble upon the part of
Trochu, Ducrot, and Vinoy for the services of these very young
officers."

This time the speaker had the laugh with him, for no one could
believe that Ralph could be speaking the truth. Ralph grew a little
pale.

"Monsieur Teclier," he said, "do me the favor to introduce my
brother and myself to this lieutenant of Mobiles, in due form."

The matter had now become so serious that there was a dead hush in
the room, while Monsieur Teclier advanced. He had once or twice
already made a motion of coming forward, to take Ralph's part; but
a motion from the latter had arrested him. He was aware of the
furore which the gallant and successful expedition of the Barclays
had created, in Paris; and he had been greatly struck and pleased
by the calmness of the boys in a great--and to them altogether
new--peril. He now advanced slowly.

"May I ask your name, sir, and regiment?" he said to the officer.

"Lieutenant Desmaret, of the Mobiles of Vienne," the officer said,
frowning.

"Lieutenant Desmaret of the Mobiles of Vienne, I beg to introduce
you to--"

"No, sir," the officer said, passionately, "you introduce them to
me, not me to them. The inferior rank is introduced to the
superior."

"I know perfectly well what I am doing, sir, and require no lesson
from you," Monsieur Teclier said, quietly. "I repeat, I introduce
you--Lieutenant Desmaret, of the Mobiles of Vienne--to Captain
Ralph Barclay, and Captain Percy Barclay, staff officers, and
commanders of the legion of honor."

There was a dead silence of surprise throughout the room.

"Is it possible?" the Sous Prefect said, coming forward again,
"that these gentlemen are the Captains Barclay, of whom the Paris
papers--which we received three days since--were full, as having
passed through the German lines, and having swam the Seine at
night, under fire? They had previously been decorated for great
acts of bravery, in the Vosges; and were now made commanders of the
Legion.

"Is it possible that you are those officers, gentlemen?"

"It is so, monsieur," Ralph said. "We had the good fortune to
distinguish ourselves but, as we did not wish to make ourselves
conspicuous by new uniforms, and new ribbons, we have put aside our
uniforms until required for service; and asked Monsieur Teclier to
be silent upon the subject. Of course, we could not guess that,
upon our way, we should meet so rude and unmannerly a person as
Monsieur the Lieutenant