or officer in
purgatory."

"Ah," cried Raynal, "you see I know what it is. I have been chained down
by the arm, and the leg, and all: it is deadly tiresome."

"Tiresome! it is--it is--oh, dear commandant, Heaven bless you for
coming!"

"Ta! ta! ta! I am come on my own business."

"All the better. I have nothing to do; that is what kills me. I'm eating
my own heart."

"Cannibal! Well, my lad, since you are in that humor, cheer up, for I
bring you a job, and a tough one; it has puzzled me."

"What is it, commandant? What is it?"

"Well, do you know a house and a family called Beaurepaire?"

"Do I know Beaurepaire?"

And the pale youth turned very red; and stared with awe at this wizard
of a commandant. He thought he was going to be called over the coals for
frequenting a disaffected family. "Well," said Raynal, "I have been and
bought this Beaurepaire."

Edouard uttered a loud exclamation. "It was YOU bought it! she never
told me that."

"Yes," said Raynal, "I am the culprit; and we have fixed on you to undo
my work without hurting their pride too much, poor souls; but let us
begin with the facts."

Then Raynal told him my story after his fashion. Of course I shall not
go and print his version; you might like his concise way better than my
verbose; and I'm not here to hold up any man's coat-tails. Short as he
made it, Edouard's eyes were moist more than once; and at the end he
caught Raynal's hand and kissed it. Then he asked time to reflect;
"for," said he, "I must try and be just."

"I'll give you an hour," said Raynal, with an air of grand munificence.
The only treasure he valued was time.

In less than an hour Edouard had solved the knot, to his entire
satisfaction; he even gave the commandant particular instructions for
carrying out his sovereign decree. Raynal received these orders from
his subordinate with that simplicity which formed part of his amazing
character, and rode home relieved of all responsibility in the matter.

COMMANDANT RAYNAL TO MADEMOISELLE DE BEAUREPAIRE.

Mademoiselle,--Before I could find time to write to our referee, news
came in that he had just broken his arm;--

"Oh! oh, dear! our poor Edouard!"

And if poor Edouard had seen the pale faces, and heard the faltering
accents, it would have reconciled him to his broken arm almost. This
hand-grenade the commandant had dropped so coolly among them, it was a
long while ere they could recover from it enough to read the res