side when Casimir Perrier
came, as he was in the habit of doing daily, to inquire after her son's
condition in the name of the king, and to request the duchess to name
the amount of her claims against France, and to impart to him all her
wishes with regard to her future. Hortense now had but one ardent
wish--the recovery of her son; and her only request was, that she might
be permitted to visit the French baths of the Pyrenees during the
summer, in order to restore her failing health.

The minister promised to procure this permission of the king, and of the
Chambers, that were soon to be convened. "In this way we shall gradually
become accustomed to your presence," observed Casimir Perrier. "As far
as you are personally concerned, we shall be inclined to throw open the
gates of the country to you. But with your son it is different, his name
will be a perpetual obstacle in his way. If he should really desire at
any time to take service in the army, it would be, above all, necessary
that he should lay aside his name. We are in duty bound to consider the
wishes of foreign governments: France is divided into so many parties,
that a war could only be ruinous, and therefore your son must change his
name, if--"

But now the duchess, her cheeks glowing, blushing with displeasure and
anger, interrupted him. "What!" exclaimed she, "lay aside the noble name
with which France may well adorn itself, conceal it as though we had
cause to be ashamed of it?"

Beside herself with anger, regardless, in her agitation, even of the
suffering condition of her son, she hastened to his bedside, to inform
him of the proposition made to her by Louis Philippe's minister.

The prince arose in his couch, his eyes flaming, and his cheeks burning
at the same time with the fever-heat of disease and of anger.

"Lay aside my name!" he exclaimed. "Who dares to make such a proposition
to me? Let us think of all these things no more, mother. Let us go back
to our retirement. Ah, you were right, mother: our time is passed, or it
has not yet come!"

CHAPTER IX.

THE DEPARTURE OF THE DUCHESS FROM PARIS.

Excitement had made the patient worse, and caused his fever to return
with renewed violence. Hortense was now inseparable from his bedside;
she herself applied ice to his burning throat, and assisted in applying
the leeches ordered by the physician. But this continuous anxiety and
excitement, all these troubles of the present, and sad remembrance