ly."' As the
general spoke, he unbuttoned the breast of his uniform, and took forth
a small piece of crumpled ribbon, fastened in the shape of a cockade.
'Here it is,' said he, holding it up before on? eyes; 'it was for this
he died.' We could scarce see it through our tears. Poor Annette held
her hands upon her face, and sobbed violently. 'Keep it, my sweet
child,' said the general, as he attached the cockade to her shoulder;'
it is a glorious emblem, and well worthy to be worn by one so pure and
so fair as you are.'

"Annette looked up, and as she did, her eyes fell upon the tricolor that
hung from her shoulder,--the hated, the despised tricolor, the badge
of that party whose cruelty she had thought of by day and dreamed of
by night. She turned deadly pale, and sat, with lips compressed and
clenched hands, unable to speak or stir.

"'What is it? Are you ill, child?' said the general, suddenly.

"'Annette, love! Annette, dearest!' said my uncle, trembling with
anxiety, 'speak; what is the matter?'

"'It is that!' cried I, fiercely, pointing to the knot, on which her
eyes were bent with a shrinking horror I well knew the meaning of,--' it
is that!'

"The general bent on me a look of passionate meaning, as with a hissing
tone he said, 'Do you mean this?'

"'Yes,' said I, tearing it away, and trampling it beneath my
feet,--'yes! it is not a Noailles can wear the badge of infamy and
crime; the blood-stained tricolor can find slight favor here.'

"'Hush, boy! hush, for Heaven's sake!' cried my uncle, trembling with
fear.

"The caution came too late. The general, taking a note-book from his
pocket, opened it leisurely, and then turning towards the viscount,
said, 'This youth's name is--'

"'Duchesne; Henri Duchesne.'

"'And his age?'

"'Fourteen in March,' replied my uncle, as his eyes filled up; while he
added, in a half whisper, 'if you mean the conscription, General, he has
already supplied a substitute.'

"'No matter, sir, if he had sent twenty; such defect of education as his
needs correction. He shall join the levies at Toulon in three days; in
three days, mark me! Depend upon it, sir,' said he, turning to me, 'you
shall learn a lesson beneath that tricolor you'll be somewhat long
in forgetting. Dumolle, look to this.' With this direction to his
aide-de-camp he arose, and before my poor unhappy uncle could recover
his self-possession to reply, had left the room.

"'He will not do this, sir; surely, he