es, like the puff of smoke which announces on the outside the secret
commotions of a volcano. The student hardly noticed it.

"Well, Jehan," stammered the elder brother with an effort, "What is the
meaning of yonder word?"

"FATE."

Dom Claude turned pale again, and the scholar pursued carelessly.

"And that word below it, graved by the same hand, '_Ayayvela_, signifies
'impurity.' You see that people do know their Greek."

And the archdeacon remained silent. This Greek lesson had rendered him
thoughtful.

Master Jehan, who possessed all the artful ways of a spoiled child,
judged that the moment was a favorable one in which to risk his request.
Accordingly, he assumed an extremely soft tone and began,--

"My good brother, do you hate me to such a degree as to look savagely
upon me because of a few mischievous cuffs and blows distributed in a
fair war to a pack of lads and brats, _quibusdam marmosetis_? You see,
good Brother Claude, that people know their Latin."

But all this caressing hypocrisy did not have its usual effect on the
severe elder brother. Cerberus did not bite at the honey cake. The
archdeacon's brow did not lose a single wrinkle.

"What are you driving at?" he said dryly.

"Well, in point of fact, this!" replied Jehan bravely, "I stand in need
of money."

At this audacious declaration, the archdeacon's visage assumed a
thoroughly pedagogical and paternal expression.

"You know, Monsieur Jehan, that our fief of Tirechappe, putting the
direct taxes and the rents of the nine and twenty houses in a block,
yields only nine and thirty livres, eleven sous, six deniers, Parisian.
It is one half more than in the time of the brothers Paclet, but it is
not much."

"I need money," said Jehan stoically.

"You know that the official has decided that our twenty-one houses
should he moved full into the fief of the Bishopric, and that we could
redeem this homage only by paying the reverend bishop two marks of
silver gilt of the price of six livres parisis. Now, these two marks I
have not yet been able to get together. You know it."

"I know that I stand in need of money," repeated Jehan for the third
time.

"And what are you going to do with it?"

This question caused a flash of hope to gleam before Jehan's eyes. He
resumed his dainty, caressing air.

"Stay, dear Brother Claude, I should not come to you, with any evil
motive. There is no intention of cutting a dash in the taverns with your
unzains