cried Vortigern. "Fie. Have they perhaps, also next to their
bed-chambers, whole rooms stocked with dainties?"

"Calm your legitimate indignation, my boiling-over friend. Young girls
can not allow themselves quite so much comfort. That's good enough for
the Emperor Charles, who is no longer nimble on his legs. He is getting
along in years. He has the gout in his left foot, and his girth is
enormous."

"That is not to be wondered at. Bound is the stomach to protrude with
such a gourmand!"

"You will understand that being so heavy on his feet, this mighty
Emperor is not able, like his daughters, to snatch at a stray dainty on
the wing, like birdies in an orchard, who nibble lovingly here at a red
cherry, there at a blushing apple, yonder at a bunch of gilded grapes.
No, no; with his august paunch and his gouty foot, the august Charles
would be wholly unable to snap the dainties on the wing. The attention
due to his empire would lose too much. Hence the Emperor keeps near at
hand, within easy reach, a room full of dainties, where, at night, he
finds his provender--"

"Octave!" exclaimed Vortigern, interrupting the young Roman with a
haughty mien. "I do not wish to be trifled with. At first, I took your
words seriously. The laughter that you are hardly able to repress, and
that despite yourself breaks out at frequent intervals, shows me that
you are trifling with me."

"Come, my brave lad, do not wax angry. I am not bantering. Only that,
out of respect for the candor of your age, I have used a figure of
speech to tell the truth. In short, the dainty that I, Charles, his
daughters, and, by Venus! everybody at court lusts after more or less
greedily is--love!"

"Love," echoed Vortigern, blushing and for the first time dropping his
eyes before Octave; but as his uneasiness increased, he proceeded to
inquire: "But, in order to enjoy love, the daughters of Charles are
surely married?"

"Oh, innocence of the Golden Age! Oh, Armorican naiveness! Oh, Gallic
chastity!" cried Octave. But noticing that the young Breton frowned at
hearing his native land ridiculed, the Roman proceeded: "Far be it from
me to jest about your brave country. I shall tell you without further
circumlocution--I shall tell you that Charles' daughters are not
married; for reasons that he has never cared to explain to anyone, he
never has wanted them to have a husband."[A]

"Out of pride, no doubt!"

"Oh, oh, on that subject many things are said. The