is brief reply ensued a long interval of silence, broken only by
the convulsive beating of the heel of the young man on the floor.

The old man endeavored to change the conversation; it was leading to
thoughts much too sinister.

"My lord," said he, "what is the meaning of all the noise which preceded
me? What are these people crying '_Vive le Roi!_' for? What king do they
mean? and what are all these lights for?"

"Ah! Parry," replied the young man ironically, "don't you know that
this is the King of France visiting his good city of Blois? All these
trumpets are his, all those gilded housings are his, all those gentlemen
wear swords that are his. His mother precedes him in a carriage
magnificently encrusted with silver and gold. Happy mother! His minister
heaps up millions, and conducts him to a rich bride. Then all these
people rejoice; they love their king, they hail him with their
acclamations, and they cry, '_Vive le Roi! Vive le Roi!_'"

"Well, well, my lord," said Parry, more uneasy at the turn the
conversation had taken than at the other.

"You know," resumed the unknown, "that _my_ mother and _my_ sister,
whilst all this is going on in honor of the King of France, have neither
money nor bread; you know that I myself shall be poor and degraded
within a fortnight, when all Europe will become acquainted with what
you have told me. Parry, are there not examples in which a man of my
condition should himself--"

"My lord, in the name of Heaven--"

"You are right, Parry; I am a coward, and if I do nothing for myself,
what will God do? No, no; I have two arms, Parry, and I have a sword."
And he struck his arm violently with his hand, and took down his sword,
which hung against the wall.

"What are you going to do, my lord?"

"What am I going to do, Parry? What every one in my family does. My
mother lives on public charity, my sister begs for my mother; I have,
somewhere or other, brothers who equally beg for themselves; and I, the
eldest, will go and do as all the rest do--I will go and ask charity!"

And with these words, which he finished sharply with a nervous and
terrible laugh, the young man girded on his sword, took his hat from
the trunk, fastened to his shoulder a black cloak, which he had worn
all during his journey, and pressing the two hands of the old man, who
watched his proceedings with a look of anxiety,--

"My good Parry," said he, "order a fire, drink, eat, sleep, and be
happy; let us both