who have arrived and who
have departed; who has stolen and who has done a good business. I am
well pleased with you--you have spoken freely and bravely, and said
openly what you thought. That pleases me; I am pleased when my agents
have the courage to speak the truth, and dare occasionally to oppose me.
I hope you will retain this virtue."

He bowed pleasantly to the prefect, and offered him his hand. He then
dismissed him, and ordered the ministers to enter with their reports
and proposals. After these came the council, and only after the king had
worked with them uninterruptedly for three hours, did he think of taking
some repose from all this work, which had occupied him from six o'clock
in the morning until nearly twelve. He was on the point of entering his
library as loud voices in the anteroom arrested his attention.

"But I tell you that the king gives no audiences to-day," he heard one
of the servants say.

"The king has said that every man who wishes to speak to him shall be
admitted!" exclaimed another voice. "I must speak to the king, and he
must hear me."

"If you must speak to him, you must arrange it by writing. The king
grants an audience to all who demand it, but he fixes the hour himself."

"Misery and despair cannot await a fixed hour!" cried the other. "If the
king will not listen to unhappiness when it calls to him for redress,
but waits until it pleases him to hear, he is not a good king."

"The man is right," said the king, "I will listen to him immediately."

He hastily advanced to the door and opened it. Without stood an old man,
poorly dressed, with a pale, thin face, from whose features despair and
sorrow spoke plainly enough to be understood by all. When his great,
sunken eyes fell upon the king, he cried, joyfully, "God be thanked,
there is the king!" The king motioned to him to approach, and the old
man sprang forward with a cry of delight.

"Come into the room," said the king; "and now tell me what you wish from
me?"

"Justice, your majesty, nothing but justice. I have been through the
war, and I am without bread. I have nothing to live upon, and I have
twice petitioned your majesty for a situation which is now vacant."

"And I refused it to you, because I had promised it to another."

"They told me that your majesty would refuse me this situation." cried
the man, despairingly. "But I cannot believe it, for your majesty owes
it to me, and you are usually a just king. Hasten, you