ems of our nature, without a
solution since the beginning of the world."

"But, Marston, you will only laugh at me for all my troubles."

"Lafontaine, I shall do no such thing. Those pains and penalties have
been the lot of some of the noblest hearts and most powerful minds that
the earth has ever seen; and have been most keenly felt by the noblest
and the most powerful. The poet only tells the truth more gracefully
when he says--

"'The spell of all spells that enamours the heart,
To few is imparted, to millions denied;
'Tis the brain of the victim that poisons the dart,
And fools jest at that by which sages have died.'

"But now, my friend, let us talk of other things. We must not sink into
a pair of sentimentalists; these are terrible times. And now, tell me
what brought you out of quiet England among our madmen here?"

"I may now tell all the world," was the reply, "for the evil is done
beyond remedy. I was sent by our friends in London, to carry the last
warning to the royal family of all that has happened this day. My papers
contained the most exact details, the names of the leaders, their
objects, their points of assembling, and even their points of attack.
Those were furnished, as you may conceive, by one of the principal
conspirators; a fellow whom I afterwards saw on horseback in front of
the Tuileries, and whom, I think, I had the satisfaction of dismounting
by a shot from my carbine."

I mentioned the fruitlessness of my own efforts to awake the ministry.

"Ah," said he, with a melancholy smile, "my friend, if you had been
admitted into the palace, or into the council-chamber itself, you would
have had precisely the same tale to tell. All was infatuation. I was
ushered into the highest presence last midnight. My despatches were
read. I was complimented on my zeal, and then was told that every thing
was provided for. I was even closeted for two hours with the two
individuals who, of all France, or of all mankind, had the largest stake
in the crisis, and was again told that there was no crisis to be feared.
I even offered to take a squadron of dragoons, and arrest the
conspirators at the moment with my own hand. I saw the eyes of the
noblest of women fill with tears of grief and indignation at the
hopelessness of my appeal, and the answer, 'that though Frenchmen might
hate the ministers, they always loved their king.' I saw that all was
over."

"Still," said I, "I cannot compr