complaining of
the precarious future of artists, Albert du Rocher proposed to him to
use his influence to procure him a place at the government library.
Buvat jumped with joy at the idea of becoming a public functionary; and,
a month afterward, Buvat received his brevet as employe at the library,
in the manuscript department, with a salary of nine hundred livres a
year. From this day, Buvat, in the pride natural to his new position,
neglected his scholars, and gave himself up entirely to the preparation
of forms. Nine hundred livres, secured to the end of his life, was quite
a fortune, and the worthy writer, thanks to the royal munificence, began
to lead a life of ease and comfort, promising his good neighbors that if
they had a second child no one but himself should teach him to write. On
their parts, the poor parents wished much to give this increase of
occupation to the worthy writer. God heard their desire. Toward the
termination of 1702, Clarice was delivered of a daughter.

Great was the joy through the whole house. Buvat did not feel at all at
his ease; he ran up and down stairs, beating his thighs with his hands,
and singing below his breath the burden of his favorite song, "Then let
me go, and let me play," etc. That day, for the first time since he had
been appointed, that is to say, during two years, he arrived at his
office at a quarter past ten, instead of ten o'clock exactly. A
supernumerary, who thought that he must be dead, had asked for his
place.

The little Bathilde was not a week old before Buvat wished to begin
teaching her her strokes and pot-hooks, saying, that to learn a thing
well, it is necessary to commence young. It was with the greatest
difficulty that he was made to understand that he must wait till she was
two or three years old. He resigned himself; but, in expectation of
that time, he set about preparing copies. At the end of three years
Clarice kept her word, and Buvat had the satisfaction of solemnly
putting her first pen into the hands of Bathilde.

[Illustration: HE THEN RETURNED TO HIS WORK WITH ALL THE EAGERNESS OF AN
ARTIST.--Page 325.]

It was the beginning of the year 1707, and the Duc de Chartres had
become Duc d'Orleans, by the death of Monsieur, and had at last obtained
a command in Spain, where he was to conduct the troops to the Marechal
de Berwick. Orders were directly given to all his military household to
hold themselves in readiness for the 5th of March. As first e