ter when
this polished gentleman permitted a negro to insult him and his
daughter, in a way to excite comment. What it was Mr. Weil was bent on
discovering, but as yet he had made little progress.

It was on account of this plan that Mr. Weil affected to like Hannibal
so well. He used to spend hours in devising ways for securing the truth
from that source. Hannibal, however, gave no signs of intending to
reveal his secret, and if he was going abroad to study, it seemed
unlikely that the investigator would get at many facts in that quarter.

One day, Mr. Weil happened to call at the office of the merchant at an
hour when the latter was out, and found Hannibal in possession. As this
was an opportunity seldom available, Archie entered into a lively
conversation with the fellow.

"They tell me you are soon going to leave us," he said, as a beginning.
"I hear that you are going to Europe."

"Yes," said Hannibal, with a certain wariness.

"If I can tell you anything about the country I shall be glad," said
Weil, affably. "I have spent considerable time there. You don't
understand the language, I believe?"

The negro simply shook his head.

"It's easy enough to acquire. Get right into a hotel with a lot of
students, and pitch in. Though they _do_ say," added the speaker,
archly, "that the best method is to engage a pretty grisette. The poet
was right:

"'Tis pleasing to be schooled in a strange tongue
By female eyes and lips; that is, I mean,
When both the teacher and the taught are young--

"You know the rest."

The answering smile that he expected, did not come into the negro's
face. If possible, it grew still more reserved and earnest.

"There's one good thing, if you'll excuse my mentioning it," pursued
Archie, "and that is, the French have no prejudice whatever against
color. Indeed, a colored student gets a little better attention in Paris
than a white one."

Then the silent lips were unlocked.

"Could a black man--_marry_--a white woman, of the upper or middle
classes?" asked Hannibal, slowly.

"To be sure. There was the elder Dumas, and a dozen others. I tell you
there's absolutely no color line there. They judge a man by what he is,
not by the accident of race or skin. You'll see such a difference you'll
be sorry you didn't go years before."

Hannibal sat as if lost in thought.

"Mr. Fern will miss you, though," continued Archie. "Yes, and the
family. You seem almost indispensable."