as his name?" asked Monsieur de Serizy; and a look of some
surprise passed over his face as Georges named, correctly, one of our
most distinguished consul-generals who happened at that time to be
stationed at Smyrna.

"I assisted," added Georges, "at the execution of the Governor of
Smyrna, whom the Sultan had ordered Chosrew to put to death. It was one
of the most curious things I ever saw, though I've seen many,--I'll tell
you about it when we stop for breakfast. From Smyrna I crossed to Spain,
hearing there was a revolution there. I went straight to Mina, who
appointed me as his aide-de-camp with the rank of colonel. I fought for
the constitutional cause, which will certainly be defeated when we enter
Spain--as we undoubtedly shall, some of these days--"

"You, a French soldier!" said the count, sternly. "You show
extraordinary confidence in the discretion of those who are listening to
you."

"But there are no spies here," said Georges.

"Are you aware, Colonel Georges," continued the count, "that the Court
of Peers is at this very time inquiring into a conspiracy which has made
the government extremely severe in its treatment of French soldiers
who bear arms against France, and who deal in foreign intrigues for the
purpose of overthrowing our legitimate sovereigns."

On hearing this stern admonition the painter turned red to his ears and
looked at Mistigris, who seemed dumfounded.

"Well," said Pere Leger, "what next?"

"If," continued the count, "I were a magistrate, it would be my duty to
order the gendarmes at Pierrefitte to arrest the aide-de-camp of Mina,
and to summon all present in this vehicle to testify to his words."

This speech stopped Georges' narrative all the more surely, because
at this moment the coucou reached the guard-house of a brigade of
gendarmerie,--the white flag floating, as the orthodox saying is, upon
the breeze.

"You have too many decorations to do such a dastardly thing," said
Oscar.

"Never mind; we'll catch up with him soon," whispered Georges in the
lad's ear.

"Colonel," cried Leger, who was a good deal disturbed by the count's
outburst, and wanted to change the conversation, "in all these countries
where you have been, what sort of farming do they do? How do they vary
the crops?"

"Well, in the first place, my good fellow, you must understand, they are
too busy cropping off each others' heads to think much of cropping the
ground."

The count couldn't help smiling