llows of all," laughed Andre-Louis.

At the moment Le Chapelier manifested impatience. I wonder did the
phrase cross his mind that day four years later when himself he rode in
the death-cart to the Greve.

"We are sixty-six Breton deputies in the Assembly. Should a vacancy
occur, will you act as suppleant? A word from me together with the
influence of your name in Rennes and Nantes, and the thing is done."

Andre-Louis laughed outright. "Do you know, Isaac, that I never meet you
but you seek to thrust me into politics?"

"Because you have a gift for politics. You were born for politics."

"Ah, yes--Scaramouche in real life. I've played it on the stage. Let that
suffice. Tell me, Isaac, what news of my old friend, La Tour d'Azyr?"

"He is here in Versailles, damn him--a thorn in the flesh of the
Assembly. They've burnt his chateau at La Tour d'Azyr. Unfortunately he
wasn't in it at the time. The flames haven't even singed his insolence.
He dreams that when this philosophic aberration is at an end, there will
be serfs to rebuild it for him."

"So there has been trouble in Brittany?" Andre-Louis had become suddenly
grave, his thoughts swinging to Gavrillac.

"An abundance of it, and elsewhere too. Can you wonder? These delays
at such a time, with famine in the land? Chateaux have been going up in
smoke during the last fortnight. The peasants took their cue from
the Parisians, and treated every castle as a Bastille. Order is being
restored, there as here, and they are quieter now."

"What of Gavrillac? Do you know?"

"I believe all to be well. M. de Kercadiou was not a Marquis de La Tour
d'Azyr. He was in sympathy with his people. It is not likely that they
would injure Gavrillac. But don't you correspond with your godfather?"

"In the circumstances--no. What you tell me would make it now more
difficult than ever, for he must account me one of those who helped to
light the torch that has set fire to so much belonging to his class.
Ascertain for me that all is well, and let me know."

"I will, at once."

At parting, when Andre-Louis was on the point of stepping into his
cabriolet to return to Paris, he sought information on another matter.

"Do you happen to know if M. de La Tour d'Azyr has married?" he asked.

"I don't; which really means that he hasn't. One would have heard of it
in the case of that exalted Privileged."

"To be sure." Andre-Louis spoke indifferently. "Au revoir, Isaac! You'll
come and see