said that he had had his identity
substantiated at Fontainebleau, Paris, and Berlin; cited from memory two
or three passages of the will, and finished by declaring that the
Prussian Government, in conjunction with that of France, would support
his just claims if necessary.

"You understand clearly," said he, taking Meiser by the button of his
coat, "that I am no fox, depending on cunning. If you had a wrist
vigorous enough to swing a good sabre, we'd take the field against each
other, and I'd play you for the amount, first two cuts out of three, as
surely as that's soup before you!"

"Fortunately, monsieur," said Meiser, "my age shields me from all
brutality. You would not wish to trample under foot the corpse of an old
man!"

"Venerable scoundrel! But you would have killed me like a dog, if your
pistol had not missed fire!"

"It was not loaded, Monsieur Colonel! It was not----anywhere near
loaded! But I am an accommodating man, and we can come to terms very
easily. I don't owe you anything, and, moreover, there's prescription;
but after all----how much do you want?"

"He has had his say: now it's my turn!"

The old rascal's mate softened the tone of her voice. Imagine to
yourself a saw licking a tree before biting in.

"Listen, Claus, my dear--listen to what Monsieur Colonel Fougas has to
say. You'll see that he is reasonable! It's not in him to think of
ruining poor people like us. Oh, Heavens! he is not capable of it. He
has such a noble heart! Such a disinterested man! An officer worthy of
the great Napoleon (God receive his soul!)."

"That's enough, old lady!" said Fougas, with a curt gesture which cut
the speech off in the middle. "I had an estimate made at Berlin of what
is due me--principal and interest."

"Interest!" cried Meiser. "But in what country, in what latitude, do
people pay interest on money? Perhaps it may sometimes happen in
business, but between friends--never, no never, my good Monsieur
Colonel! What would my good uncle, who is now gazing upon us from
heaven, say, if he knew that you were claiming interest on his bequest?"

"Now shut up, Nickle!" interrupted his wife. "Monsieur Colonel is just
about telling you, himself, that he did not intend to be understood as
speaking of the interest."

"Why in the name of great guns don't you both shut up, you confounded
magpies? Here I am dying of hunger, and I didn't bring my nightcap to go
to bed here, either!---- Now here's the upshot of the