e of the leg which I left the past year
at the battle of Mohiloff, after the passage of Beresina; for he was
first, Peter the Great--well-named--in paying generously the soldiers of
fortune who enrolled themselves in his service and who gave, many of
them, the sacrifice of some one of their limbs."

"But, my friend, I do not understand you," said Monmouth, gently pushing
away the purse which the adventurer tendered him.

"I will be explicit, my lord; you are in arrears to the amount of one
hundred crowns of rent, and you are threatened with being turned out of
this farm in eight days. It is a pot-bellied animal, bearded and
corpulent, robed in the garb of a monk, who has made this threat to your
poor, dear children but a short time since at the convent door."

"Alas, James! this is only too probable," said Angela, sadly, to her
husband.

"I fear it," said Monmouth, "but this is not a reason, my friend, to
accept----"

"But, my lord, it seems to me that you made me such a fine gift, it is
now eighteen years ago, that we might well share it to-day; and when we
speak of the past, in order to disembarrass yourself at once of what
concerns me, and to speak henceforth of your affairs at our ease, my
lord, in two words, this is my history. Upon my arrival at Rochelle,
Father Griffen told me that you had presented me the Unicorn and its
cargo!"

"My God! my friend, this was such a small thing after all that you had
done for us," said James.

"May we not at least recognize all that you have done for us?" said
Angela.

"Without doubt, it was little--it was nothing at all--a cup of coffee
well sugared, with rum to soften it, was it not? Only the cup was a
ship, and to fill it there was coffee and sugar and rum, the cargo of a
vessel of eight hundred tons--the whole worth two hundred thousand
crowns. You are right--it was less than nothing--but in order to put
aside useless discussion and to be frank, Zounds! this gift wounded
me----"

"My friend----"

"I was paid by this medallion--speak no more of it. Besides, I have no
longer the right to resent it; I made deed of gift of the whole to
Father Griffen in order that he might in his turn give it to the poor,
or to the convent, or to the devil if he chose to."

"Can it be possible that you refused it?" exclaimed both husband and
wife.

"Yes, I did refuse it, and I am sure, my lord, although you pretend
surprise, that you would have acted as I did. I was not already s