nt of surprise, but the officer remained as
motionless as a statue.

"Your discharge--yours, monsieur? and for how long a time, I pray?"

"Why, forever, sire."

"What, you are desirous of quitting my service, monsieur?" said Louis,
with an expression that revealed something more than surprise.

"Sire, I regret to say that I am."

"Impossible!"

"It is so, however, sire. I am getting old; I have worn harness now
thirty-five years; my poor shoulders are tired; I feel that I must give
place to the young. I don't belong to this age; I have still one foot
in the old one; it results that everything is strange in my eyes,
everything astonishes and bewilders me. In short, I have the honor to
ask your majesty for my discharge."

"Monsieur," said the king, looking at the officer, who wore his uniform
with an ease that would have caused envy in a young man, "you are
stronger and more vigorous than I am."

"Oh!" replied the officer, with an air of false modesty, "your
majesty says so because I still have a good eye and a tolerably firm
foot--because I can still ride a horse, and my mustache is black; but,
sire, vanity of vanities all that--illusions all that--appearance,
smoke, sire! I have still a youthful air, it is true, but I feel old,
and within six months I am certain I shall be broken down, gouty,
impotent. Therefore, then, sire--"

"Monsieur," interrupted the king, "remember your words of yesterday. You
said to me in this very place where you now are, that you were endowed
with the best health of any man in France; that fatigue was unknown to
you! that you did not mind spending whole days and nights at your post.
Did you tell me that, monsieur, or not? Try and recall, monsieur."

The officer sighed. "Sire," said he, "old age is boastful; and it is
pardonable for old men to praise themselves when others no longer do it.
It is very possible I said that; but the fact is, sire, I am very much
fatigued, an request permission to retire."

"Monsieur," said the king, advancing towards the officer with a gesture
full of majesty, "you are not assigning me the true reason. You wish to
quit my service, it may be true, but you disguise from me the motive of
your retreat."

"Sire, believe that--"

"I believe what I see, monsieur; I see a vigorous, energetic man, full
of presence of mind, the best soldier in France, perhaps; and this
personage cannot persuade me the least in the world that he stands in
need of rest."

"