or some time past, the events of his life had been woven.

"And," inquired he of the ensign, "it is not known, you say, how the
prince became acquainted with the news of the death of Aurilly?"

"No."

"But surely," he insisted, "people must talk about it?"

"Oh! of course," said the ensign; "true or false, you know, people
always will talk."

"Well, then, tell me what it is."

"It is said that the prince was hunting under the willows close beside
the river, and that he had wandered away from the others who were
hunting also, for everything he does is by fits and starts, and he
becomes as excited in the field as at play, or under fire, or under the
influence of grief, when suddenly he was seen returning with a face
scared and as pale as death.

"The courtiers questioned him, thinking that it was nothing more than a
mere incident of the hunting-field.

"He held two rouleaux of gold in his hand.

"'Can you understand this, messieurs?' he said, in a hard dry voice;
'Aurilly is dead; Aurilly has been eaten by the wolves.'

"Every one immediately exclaimed.

"'Nay, indeed,' said the prince; 'may the foul fiend take me if it be
not so; the poor lute-player had always been a far better musician than
a horseman. It seems that his horse ran away with him, and that he fell
into a pit, where he was killed; the next day a couple of travelers who
were passing close to the pit discovered his body half eaten by the
wolves; and a proof that the affair actually did happen, as I have
related it, and that robbers have nothing whatever to do with the whole
matter is, that here are two rouleaux of gold which he had about him,
and which have been faithfully restored.'

"However, as no one had been seen to bring these two rouleaux of gold
back," continued the ensign, "it is supposed that they had been handed
to the prince by the two travelers who, having met and recognized his
highness on the banks of the river, had announced the intelligence of
Aurilly's death."

"It is very strange," murmured Henri.

"And what is more strange still," continued the ensign, "is, that it is
said--can it be true, or is it merely an invention?--it is said, I
repeat, that the prince was seen to open the little gate of the park
close to the chestnut trees, and that something like two shadows passed
through that same gate. The prince then introduced two persons into the
park--probably the two travelers; it is since that occasion that the
prince has