nion stopped him.

"Let be," said he, "let be, Roland. I am quite sure that citizen Barjols
will not say the General Buonaparte, as he calls him, is a thief."

"No, I will not say it; but there is an Italian proverb which says it
for me."

"What is the proverb?" demanded the general in his companion's stead,
fixing his calm, limpid eye upon the young noble.

"I give it in all its simplicity: 'Francesi non sono tutti ladroni, ma
buona parte'; which means: 'All Frenchmen are not thieves, but--"

"A good part are?" concluded Roland.

"Yes, 'Buonaparte,'" replied Alfred de Barjols.

Scarcely had these insolent words left the young aristocrat's lips than
the plate with which Roland was playing flew from his hands and struck
De Barjols full in the face. The women screamed, the men rose to their
feet. Roland burst into that nervous laugh which was habitual with him,
and threw himself back in his chair. The young aristocrat remained calm,
although the blood was trickling from his brow to his cheek.

At this moment the conductor entered with the usual formula:

"Come! citizen travellers, take your places."

The travellers, anxious to leave the scene of the quarrel, rushed to the
door.

"Pardon me, sir," said Alfred de Barjols to Roland, "you do not go by
diligence, I hope?"

"No, sir, I travel by post; but you need have no fear; I shall not
depart."

"Nor I," said the Englishman. "Have them unharness my horses; I shall
remain."

"I must go," sighed the dark young man whom Roland had addressed as
general. "You know it is necessary, my friend; my presence yonder is
absolutely imperative. But I swear that I would not leave you if I could
possibly avoid it."

In saying these words his voice betrayed an emotion of which, judging
from its usual harsh, metallic ring, it had seemed incapable. Roland, on
the contrary, seemed overjoyed. His belligerent nature seemed to expand
at the approach of a danger to which he had perhaps not given rise, but
which he at least had not endeavored to avoid.

"Good! general," he said. "We were to part at Lyons, since you have had
the kindness to grant me a month's furlough to visit my family at Bourg.
It is merely some hundred and sixty miles or so less than we intended,
that is all. I shall rejoin you in Paris. But you know if you need a
devoted arm, and a man who never sulks, think of me!"

"You may rest easy on that score, Roland," exclaimed the general.
Then, looking attentively