gh to buy a little food for the present."

I thought I could get along better without the experience and even the
few pounds, than with him as an encumbrance; though I could not bring
myself to the cruelty of telling him so. For there is in me a fatal
softness which no man can have and overbear others in this world. It
constrains me to make the other man's cause my own, though he be at war
with my own interests.

Therefore I was at the mercy of Skenedonk, also. The Indian appeared in
the doorway and watched me. I knew he thought there was to be trouble
with the gentleman from Washington, and I went to him to ease his mind.

Skenedonk had nothing to say, however, and made me a sign to follow him.
As we passed through the tap-room, General Jackson gave me another
pleasant look. He had resumed his conversation and his own ink-bottle as
if he had never been interrupted.

The Indian led me upstairs to one of the chambers, and opened the door.

In the room was Louis Philippe, and when we were shut alone together, he
embraced me and kissed me as I did not know men embraced and kissed.

"Do you know Skenedonk?" I exclaimed.

"If you mean the Indian who brought you at my order, he was my guide
from Montreal."

"But he was not with you at the potter's camp."

"Yes, he was in the hut, wrapped in his blanket, and after you drove the
door in he heard all that was said. Lazarre"--Louis Philippe took my
face in his hands--"make a clean breast of it."

We sat down, and I told him without being questioned what I was going to
do. He gravely considered.

"I saw you enter the house, and had a suspicion of your undertaking. It
is the worst venture you could possibly make at this time. We will begin
with my family. Any belief in you into which I may have been betrayed is
no guaranty of Monsieur's belief. You understand," said Louis Philippe,
"that Monsieur stands next to the throne if there is no dauphin, or an
idiot dauphin?"

I said I understood.

"Monsieur is not a bad man. But Bellenger, who took charge of the
dauphin, has in some manner and for some reason, provided himself with a
substitute, and he utterly denies you. Further: supposing that you are
the heir of France, restored to your family and proclaimed--of what use
is it to present yourself before the French people now? They are
besotted with this Napoleon. The Empire seems to them a far greater
thing than any legitimate monarchy. Of what use, do I say? It would be