no parents."

The Marquis bit his lips. With difficulty he curbed his impatience; it
showed in his voice and his eyes. Gudel suspected nothing.

"A poor orphan, then?" asked the Marquis, in the most honeyed tones,
"entrusted to your care by a dying father?"

"No, sir, I found Fanfar."

"Pray tell me how and where? I am greatly interested in this young man."

"It is a simple story, sir. My father and I were mountebanks, and there
are worse trades, let me assure you. I have served my time under the
Republic, and was easy in my mind when there came the trouble of 1812. I
with the rest was called out again. I had left my wife and my little
girl at home in a village which the allies would have gobbled up at a
mouthful, so I asked for a short leave and started off. I tumbled my
family and their goods into my chariot, where were already packed the
things I used in my profession. I must not omit to mention that Bobichel
had kept up the business for me. We travelled along not very rapidly,
for there was already fighting going on in France, and we were obliged
to turn off the highway many times. One morning, passing through a
field, I heard the sound of a bugle. It was the French bugle call. It
sounded a little queer, but I said to myself, 'Hullo! there are comrades
near.' I ran round a hillock, and saw something that I shall never
forget in my life."

"Go on!" cried the Marquis.

Gudel opened his eyes in amazement, but he could not well see the face
of his companion, and was flattered by the evident curiosity of the
Marquis.

"I saw soldiers, several of them, lying dead, butchered by the Cossacks.
I looked around to see who had sounded the bugle. You won't believe me
when I tell you that it was a boy, certainly not over ten, who had
discovered this bugle and blown it. I ran to him, but I don't know that
he even saw me, for he fell back fainting at that very moment."

"And you picked him up?"

"Of course I did! And this was Fanfar."

"Did you make any search for his parents?"

"How could I! The Cossacks were at my heels, and there was fire and
blood everywhere."

"But later on?"

"The child was sick for a long time, entirely out of his head, and when
he began to recover we feared that his brain was hopelessly affected. It
was not until eighteen months had elapsed that he was able to tell me he
came from Leigoutte, among the Vosges mountains."

"Ah!" The Marquis drew his breath with pain. "Go on! go on!" he mutt