d in order to receive them? He put on his uniform as
gentleman-in-ordinary of the Bedchamber, with all his orders, and had
himself powdered; they tied his queue (that poor queue!) with a fresh
ribbon. Now I say that none but a man of remarkable character would have
his queue tied with a fresh ribbon just as he was dying. There are eight
of us here, and I don't believe one among us is capable of such an act.
But that's not all; he said,--for you know all celebrated men make a
dying speech; he said,--stop now, what did he say? Ah! he said, 'I must
attire myself to meet the King of Heaven,--I, who have so often dressed
in my best for audience with the kings of earth.' That's how Monsieur de
la Billardiere departed this life. He took upon himself to justify the
saying of Pythagoras, 'No man is known until he dies.'"

Colleville [rushing in]. "Gentlemen, great news!"

All. "We know it."

Colleville. "I defy you to know it! I have been hunting for it ever
since the accession of His Majesty to the thrones of France and of
Navarre. Last night I succeeded! but with what labor! Madame Colleville
asked me what was the matter."

Dutocq. "Do you think we have time to bother ourselves with your
intolerable anagrams when the worthy Monsieur de la Billardiere has just
expired?"

Colleville. "That's Bixiou's nonsense! I have just come from Monsieur
de la Billardiere's; he is still living, though they expect him to die
soon." [Godard, indignant at the hoax, goes off grumbling.] "Gentlemen!
you would never guess what extraordinary events are revealed by the
anagram of this sacramental sentence" [he pulls out a piece of paper
and reads], "Charles dix, par la grace de Dieu, roi de France et de
Navarre."

Godard [re-entering]. "Tell what it is at once, and don't keep people
waiting."

Colleville [triumphantly unfolding the rest of the paper]. "Listen!

"A H. V. il cedera;
De S. C. l. d. partira;
Eh nauf errera,
Decide a Gorix.

"Every letter is there!" [He repeats it.] "A Henry cinq cedera (his
crown of course); de Saint-Cloud partira; en nauf (that's an old French
word for skiff, vessel, felucca, corvette, anything you like) errera--"

Dutocq. "What a tissue of absurdities! How can the King cede his crown
to Henry V., who, according to your nonsense, must be his grandson,
when Monseigneur le Dauphin is living. Are you prophesying the Dauphin's
death?"

Bixiou. "What's Gorix, pray?--the name of a cat?"

Colleville [