ed to mock at the
savants."

To poison the sting, from time to time, is the acme of art. Nero loves
to see Locusta at work.

Royal palaces are very easily entered; these madrepores have a way in
soon guessed at, contrived, examined, and scooped out at need by the
gnawing thing which is called the courtier. A pretext to enter is
sufficient. Barkilphedro, having found this pretext, his position with
the queen soon became the same as that with the Duchess Josiana--that of
an indispensable domestic animal. A witticism risked one day by him
immediately led to his perfect understanding of the queen and how to
estimate exactly her kindness of heart. The queen was greatly attached
to her Lord Steward, William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, who was a
great fool. This lord, who had obtained every Oxford degree and did not
know how to spell, one fine morning committed the folly of dying. To die
is a very imprudent thing at court, for there is then no further
restraint in speaking of you. The queen, in the presence of
Barkilphedro, lamented the event, finally exclaiming, with a sigh,--

"It is a pity that so many virtues should have been borne and served by
so poor an intellect."

"Dieu veuille avoir son ane!" whispered Barkilphedro, in a low voice,
and in French.

The queen smiled. Barkilphedro noted the smile. His conclusion was that
biting pleased. Free licence had been given to his spite. From that day
he thrust his curiosity everywhere, and his malignity with it. He was
given his way, so much was he feared. He who can make the king laugh
makes the others tremble. He was a powerful buffoon. Every day he worked
his way forward--underground. Barkilphedro became a necessity. Many
great people honoured him with their confidence, to the extent of
charging him, when they required him, with their disgraceful
commissions.

There are wheels within wheels at court. Barkilphedro became the motive
power. Have you remarked, in certain mechanisms, the smallness of the
motive wheel?

Josiana, in particular, who, as we have explained, made use of
Barkilphedro's talents as a spy, reposed such confidence in him that she
had not hesitated to entrust him with one of the master-keys of her
apartments, by means of which he was able to enter them at any hour.
This excessive licence of insight into private life was in fashion in
the seventeenth century. It was called "giving the key." Josiana had
given two of these confidential keys--Lord Da