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 at 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 during
all 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 be happy, my faithful friend, my only friend. We are
rich, as rich as kings!"

He struck the bag of pistoles with his clenched hand as he spoke, and
it fell heavily to the ground. He resumed that dismal laugh that had so
alarmed Parry; and whilst the whole household was screaming, singing,
and preparing to install the travelers who had been preceded by their
lackeys, he glided out by the principal entrance into the street, where
the old man, who had gone to the window, lost sight of him in a moment.

CHAPTER 8. What his Majesty King Louis XIV. was at the Age of Twenty-Two

It has been seen, by the account we have endeavored to give of it, that
the entree of King Louis XIV. into the city of Blois had been noisy and
brilliant his young majesty had therefore appeared perfectly satisfied
with it.

On arriving beneath the porch of the Castle of the States, the king met,
surrounded by his guards and gentlemen, with S. A. R. the duke, Gaston
of Orleans, whose physiognomy, naturally rather majestic, had borrowed
on this solemn occasion a fresh luster and a fresh dignity. On her
part, Madame, dressed in her robes of ceremony, awaited, in the interior
balcony, the entrance of her nephew. All the windows of the old castle,
so deserted and dismal on ordinary days, were resplendent with ladies
and lights.

It was then to the sound of drum