stomer with the sight of his proofs of identity. Mr. Tenby made it his
business to push his clamorous waggishness for the exhibition. I could
readily believe that my father was more than his match in disposable
sallies and weight of humour, and that he shielded the old creature
successfully, so long as he had a tractable being to protect. But the
Dauphin was plied with wine, and the marquis had his fun. Proof upon
proof in verification of his claims was proffered by the now-tremulous
son of St. Louis--so he called himself. With, Jorian admitted, a
real courtly dignity, he stood up and proposed to lead the way to any
neighbouring cabinet to show the spots on his person; living witnesses
to the truth of his allegations, he declared them to be. The squire had
authority for his broad farce, except in so far as he mixed up my father
in the swinery of it.

I grew more and more convinced that my father never could have lost his
presence of mind when he found himself in the net of a plot to cover him
with ridicule. He was the only one who did not retire to the Dauphin's
'chamber of testification,' to return convulsed with vinous laughter
after gravely inspecting the evidence; for which abstention the Dauphin
reproached him violently, in round terms of abuse, challengeing him to
go through a similar process. This was the signal for Edbury, Tenby, and
some of the rest. They formed a circle, one-half for the Dauphin, one
for Roy. How long the boorish fun lasted, and what exactly came of it,
I did not hear. Jorian DeWitt said my father lost his temper, a point
contested by Wedderburn and Jennings, for it was unknown of him. Anyhow,
he thundered to some effect, inasmuch as he detached those that had
gentlemanly feelings from the wanton roysterers, and next day the latter
pleaded wine. But they told the story, not without embellishments. The
world followed their example.

I dined and slept at Temple's house, not caring to meet my incarnate
humiliation. I sent to hear that he was safe. A quiet evening with a
scholarly man, and a man of strong practical ability and shrewdness,
like Mr. Temple, did me good. I wished my father and I were on the same
footing as he and his son, and I may add his daughters. They all talked
sensibly; they were at feud with nobody; they reflected their condition.
It was a simple orderly English household, of which the father was the
pillar, the girls the ornaments, the son the hope, growing to take
his fathe