,
stayed behind with us, and I found a pricking pleasure in talking with
him in the speech he loved, of Monsieur's Roman journey, of his exploits
in the war of the Three Henrys. Therefore the words came easily to my
lips to answer this lad from over the Alps:

"I give you good day, friend."

He looked somewhat surprised and more than pleased, breaking at once
into voluble speech:

"The best of greetings to you, young sir. Now, what can I sell you this
fine day? I have not been half a week in this big city of yours, yet
already I have but one boxful of trinkets left. They are noble,
open-handed customers, these gallants of Paris. I have not to show them
my wares twice, I can tell you. They know what key will unlock their
fair mistresses' hearts. And now, what can I sell you, my little
gentleman, to buy your sweetheart's kisses?"

"Nay, I have no sweetheart," I said, "and if I had, she would not wear
these gauds."

"She would if she could get them, then," he retorted. "Now, let me give
you a bit of advice, my friend, for I see you are but young: buy this
gold chain of me, or this ring with this little dove on it,--see, how
cunningly wrought,--and you'll not lack long for a sweetheart."

His words huffed me a bit, for he spoke as if he were vastly my senior.

"I want no sweetheart," I returned with dignity, "to be bought with
gold."

"Nay," he cried quickly, "but when your own valour and prowess have
inflamed her with passion, you should be willing to reward her devotion
and set at rest her suspense by a suitable gift."

I looked at him uneasily, for I had a suspicion that he might be making
fun of me. But his countenance was as guileless as a kitten's.

"Well, I tell you again I have no sweetheart and I want no sweetheart,"
I said; "I have no time to bother with girls."

At once he abandoned the subject, seeing that he was making naught by
it.

"The messer is very much occupied?" he asked with exceeding deference.
"The messer has no leisure for trifling in boudoirs; he is occupied with
great matters? Oh, that can I well believe, and I cry the messer's
pardon. For when the mind is taken up with affairs of state, it is
distasteful to listen even for a moment to light talk of maids and
jewels."

Again I eyed him challengingly; but he, with face utterly unconscious,
was sorting over his treasures. I made up my mind his queer talk was but
the outlandish way of a foreigner. He looked at me again, serious and
r