ith
death; when one of the sirens--a great, fair girl, and the boldest of
the two--leaned upon my shoulder, took off my hat, and, still slowly
dancing and whirling around me, left me bald-headed and defenceless.
Then the other one, accompanying the action with all sorts of attitudes
and singular dances, and waving of the arms, draws out a pair of
scissors she must have hid somewhere,--for I'm quite sure she had no
pockets,--came close behind me, and grasping with one hand all my
remaining hair, snipped it all off with one cut of her huge scissors;
yes, all,--every lock,--every hair I had to cover my poor old head;
dancing, and wheeling, and balancing, first on one foot, then on the
other, swaying out legs and arms in all sorts of stage-struck ways; then
joining voices, the pair of audacious spirits began singing, ''Tis for
Cabrion,--for Cabrion; we take your locks for Cabrion,--your dear friend
Cabrion!' Whilst the second voice repeated in a louder strain, 'Your
head is shorn for Cabrion,--for Cabrion, your friend!'"

After a pause, interrupted by repeated sighs and groans, Alfred resumed:

"During this impudent spoliation I once ventured to raise my eyes, and
then I saw flat against the windows of the lodge the detestable
countenance of Cabrion, with his large beard and pointed-crowned hat. He
was laughing, too,--laughing with all his might. Oh, how I shuddered at
the horrible vision! To escape from so harrowing a sight I closed my
eyes. When I opened them again all had disappeared, and I found myself
seated on my chair, bald-headed and completely disfigured for life. You
see, monsieur, that, by dint of obstinacy, impudence, and cunning,
Cabrion has at length effected his fell design. But by what fearful,
what diabolical means, has he succeeded! He wishes the world to believe
he is my accepted friend; began by sticking up a notice here in my
immediate neighbourhood to the effect that he and I had entered into a
treaty of friendship! Then, not content with so infamous an assertion,
he has caused my name, in conjunction with his own, to be displayed on
every wall in Paris, binding them together with an enormous band of
union, so that at this moment the whole of this vast capital is
impressed with the most perfect belief of my close intimacy with this
scoundrel. Then he desired locks of my hair, and he has every hair off
my head,--no doubt with the view, the guilty view, of exhibiting them as
proofs of our sworn friendsh