stepped up to me. I was reading a royalist newspaper. He lighted his
cigar.

'You are right, sir; you are quite right not to read those infamous
Jacobin journals.' I looked up, and gave no answer. He continued: 'A
sailor?'

'Yes, sir.'

'And have seen service?'

'Yes.'

'You are still in active service?'

'No.' And then, to my great satisfaction, for my patience was
well-nigh exhausted, the examination was brought to a conclusion.

Just then, an evil destiny led my three young fellow-travellers into
the room. They soon seated themselves at a table, and drank some
glasses of champagne to Clotilde's health. All went on well; but when
they began to sing the _Marseillaise_ and the _Parisienne_, the face
of the gray man began to twitch, and it was evident a storm was
brewing. Calling to the waiter, he said with a loud voice: 'Tell those
blackguards yonder not to annoy me with their low songs!'

The young men sprang up in a fury, and asked if it was to them he
alluded.

'Whom else should I mean?' said the gray man with a contemptuous
sneer.

'But we may drink and sing if we like, and to whom we like,' said the
young man. '_Vive la Republique et vive Clotilde!_'

'One as blackguardly as the other!' cried the gray-beard tauntingly;
and a wine-glass, that flew at his head from the hand of the
dark-haired youth, was the immediate rejoinder. Slowly wiping his
forehead, which bled and dripped with the spilled wine, the old man
said quite quietly: 'To-morrow, at the Cap Verd!' and seated himself
again with the most perfect composure.

The young man expressed his determination to take the matter on
himself; that he alone would settle the quarrel, and promised to
appear on the morrow at the appointed time. They then all departed
noisily. The old man rose quietly, and turning to me, said: 'Sir, you
have been witness to the insult; be witness also to the satisfaction.
Here is my address: I shall expect you at five o'clock. Good-night,
Monsieur l'Abbe! To-morrow, there will be one Jacobin less, and one
lost soul the more. Good-night!' and taking his hat and stick, he
departed. His companion the abbe followed soon after.

I now learned the history of this singular man. He was descended from
a good family of Marseilles. Destined for the navy while still young,
he was sent on board ship before the Revolution, and while yet of
tender years. Later, he was taken prisoner; and after many strange
adventures, returned in 1793 t