airs; a high and small
window admitted the moonlight, and we saw each other's faces clearly.

"That fortune," answered I, looking at my acquaintance steadily, but
with an expression of profound respect,--"that fortune which watches
over kingdoms, and which, I trust, may in no place or circumstance be a
deserter from your Highness."

"Highness!" said my companion, colouring, and darting a glance, first
at his friend and then at me. "Hist, Sir, you know me, then,--speak
low,--you know, then, for whom you have drawn your sword?"

"Yes, so please your Highness. I have drawn it this night for Philip of
Orleans; I trust yet, in another scene and for another cause, to draw it
for the Regent of France!"

CHAPTER IX.

A PRINCE, AN AUDIENCE, AND A SECRET EMBASSY.

THE Regent remained silent for a moment: he then said in an altered and
grave voice, "_C'est bien, Monsieur_! I thank you for the distinction
you have made. It were not amiss" (he added, turning to his comrade)
"that _you_ would now and then deign, henceforward, to make the same
distinction. But this is neither time, nor place for parlance. On,
gentlemen!" We left the house, passed into the street, and moved on
rapidly, and in silence, till the constitutional gayety of the Duke
recovering its ordinary tone, he said with a laugh,--

"Well, now, it is a little hard that a man who has been toiling all day
for the public good should feel ashamed of indulging for an hour or two
at night in his private amusements; but so it is. 'Once grave, always
grave!' is the maxim of the world; eh, Chatran?"

The companion bowed. "'Tis a very good saying, please your Royal
Highness, and is intended to warn us from the sin of _ever_ being
grave!"

"Ha! ha! you have a great turn for morality, my good Chatran!" cried the
Duke, "and would draw a rule for conduct out of the wickedest _bon mot_
of Dubois. Monsieur, pardon me, but I have seen you before: you are the
Count--"

"Devereux, Monseigneur."

"True, true! I have heard much of you: you are intimate with Milord
Bolingbroke. Would that I had fifty friends like _him_."

"Monseigneur would have little trouble in his regency if his wish were
realized," said Chatran.

"_Tant mieux_, so long as I had little odium, as well as little
trouble,--a happiness which, thanks to you and Dubois, I am not likely
to enjoy,--but there is the carriage!"

And the Duke pointed to a dark, plain carriage, which we had suddenly
come upon.