nor a general; I have not been transferred, nor have I been retired; yet
I see another officer, more worthy, doubtless, at the head of my noble
23d. But if you have for your motto 'Honor and Courage,' as I am well
satisfied you have, I have no right to complain, and the regiment is in
good hands."

Dinner was ready. Mme. Renault took Fougas' arm. She had him sit at her
right, and M. Nibor at her left. The Colonel and the Mayor took their
places at the sides of M. Renault; the rest of the company distributed
themselves as it happened, regardless of etiquette.

Fougas gulped down the soup and _entrees_, helping himself to every
dish, and drinking in proportion. An appetite of the other world!
"Estimable Amphitryon," said he to M. Renault, "don't get frightened at
seeing me fall upon the rations. I always ate just so; except during the
retreat in Russia. Consider, too, that I went to sleep last night, at
Liebenfeld, without any supper."

He begged M. Nibor to explain to him by what course of circumstances he
had come from Liebenfeld to Fontainebleau.

"Do you remember," said the doctor, "an old German who acted as
interpreter for you before the court-martial?"

"Perfectly. An excellent man, with a violet-colored wig. I'll remember
him all my life, for there are not two wigs of that color in existence."

"Very well; it was the man with the violet wig, otherwise known as the
celebrated Doctor Meiser, who saved your life."

"Where is he? I want to see him, to fall into his arms, to tell him----"

"He was sixty-eight years old when he did you that little service; he
would then be, to-day, in his hundred and fifteenth year, if he had
waited for your acknowledgments."

"And so, then, he is no more! Death has robbed him of my gratitude!"

"You do not yet know all that you owe to him. He bequeathed you, in
1824, a fortune of seventy-five thousand francs, of which you are the
rightful owner. Now, since a sum invested at five per cent, doubles
itself in fourteen years--thanks to compound interest--you were worth,
in 1838, a trifle of seven hundred and fifty thousand francs; and in
1852, a million and a half. In fine, if you are satisfied to leave your
property in the hands of Herr Nicholas Meiser, of Dantzic, that worthy
man will owe you three millions at the commencement of 1866--that is to
say, in seven years. We will give you, this evening, a copy of your
benefactor's will; it is a very instructive document, and you ca