I had a hand in remaking a
kingdom and putting a fresh king upon a great throne the very year that
I came of age. _Mon Dieu_, I have lived my life!"

That was the most that I ever heard him confess of his past life, and he
only shook his head and laughed when we tried to get something more out
of him. There were times when we thought that he was but a clever
impostor; for what could a man of such influence and talents be
loitering here in Berwickshire for? But one day there came an incident
which showed us that he had indeed a history in the past.

You will remember that there was an old officer of the Peninsula who
lived no great way from us, the same who danced round the bonfire with
his sister and the two maids. He had gone up to London on some business
about his pension and his wound money, and the chance of having some
work given him, so that he did not come back until late in the autumn.
One of the first days after his return he came down to see us, and there
for the first time he clapped eyes upon de Lapp. Never in my life did I
look upon so astonished a face, and he stared at our friend for a long
minute without so much as a word. De Lapp looked back at him equally
hard, but there was no recognition in his eyes.

"I do not know who you are, sir," he said at last; "but you look at me
as if you had seen me before."

"So I have," answered the Major.

"Never to my knowledge."

"But I'll swear it!"

"Where then?"

"At the village of Astorga, in the year '8."

De Lapp started, and stared again at our neighbour.

"_Mon Dieu_, what a chance!" he cried. "And you were the English
parlementaire? I remember you very well indeed, sir. Let me have a
whisper in your ear."

He took him aside and talked very earnestly with him in French for a
quarter of an hour, gesticulating with his hands, and explaining
something, while the Major nodded his old grizzled head from time to
time. At last they seemed to come to some agreement, and I heard the
Major say "_Parole a'honneur_" several times, and afterwards "_Fortune
de la guerre_," which I could very well understand, for they gave you a
fine upbringing at Birtwhistle's. But after that I always noticed that
the Major never used the same free fashion of speech that we did towards
our lodger, but bowed when he addressed him, and treated him with a
wonderful deal of respect. I asked the Major more than once what he
knew about him, but he always put it off, and I