perienced a moment's ennui."

"Of whom does your majesty speak?"

"Of my poor jester, Chicot. Alas! where is he?"

D'Epernon rose, piqued. "Your majesty's souvenirs, to-day, are not very
amusing for other people," said he.

"Why so?"

"Your majesty, without intending it, perhaps, compared me to Chicot,
which is not very flattering."

"You are wrong, D'Epernon; I could only compare to Chicot a man who
loves me, and whom I love."

"It was not to resemble Chicot, I suppose, that your majesty made me a
duke?"

"Chicot loved me, and I miss him; that is all I can say. Oh! when I
think that in the same place where you now are have been all those young
men, handsome, brave, and faithful--that there, on that very chair on
which you have placed your hat, Chicot has slept more than a hundred
times--"

"Perhaps that was very amusing," interrupted the duke, "but certainly
not very respectful."

"Alas! he has now neither mind nor body."--"What became of him?"

"He died, like all who loved me."

"Well, sire, I think he did well to die; he was growing old, and I have
heard that sobriety was not one of his virtues. Of what did he
die--indigestion?"

"Of grief."

"Oh! he told you so, to make you laugh once more."

"You are wrong; he would not sadden me with the news of his illness. He
knew how I regretted my friends--he, who had so often seen me weep for
them."

"Then it was his shade that came to tell you?"

"No; I did not even see his shade. It was his friend, the worthy prior
Gorenflot, who wrote me this sad news."

"I see that if he lived your majesty would make him chancellor."

"I beg, duke, that you will not laugh at those who loved me, and whom I
loved."

"Oh! sire, I do not desire to laugh, but just now you reproached me with
want of gayety, parfandious!"

"Well, now I am in the mood to hear bad news, if you have any to tell.
Luckily I have strength to bear it, or I should be dead ten times a
day."

"Which would not displease certain people of our acquaintance."

"Oh! against them I have the arms of my Swiss."

"I could find you a better guard than that."

"You?"--"Yes, sire."

"What is it?"

"Will your majesty be so good as to accompany me to the old buildings of
the Louvre?"

"On the site of the Rue de l'Astruce?"

"Precisely."

"What shall I see there?"

"Oh! come first."

"It is a long way, duke."

"We can go in five minutes through the galleries."

"D'Epernon--"

"Well, si