able child.

On one occasion, in the early days of his rule, Simon made his pupil
the present of a Jew's harp, at the same time saying, "Your she-wolf
of a mother plays on the piano, and you must learn to accompany her on
the Jew's harp!" The dauphin steadily refused to touch the instrument;
whereupon the new tutor, in a passion, flew upon him and beat him
severely. Still he was not cowed, although the blows were the first
which he had ever received, but bravely answered, "You may punish me
if I don't obey you; but you ought not to beat me--you are stronger
than I." "I am here to command you, animal! my duty is just what I
please to do; and '_vive la Liberte, l'Egalite_.'" By-and-by personal
suffering and violence had become only too common occurrences of his
daily life.

About a week after the dauphin was transferred from the little tower,
a rumour spread through Paris that the son of Louis XVI. had been
carried off from the Temple Tower, and crowds of the sovereign people
flocked to the spot to satisfy themselves of its truth. The guard, who
had not seen the boy since he had been taken from his mother's care,
replied that he was no longer in the Tower; "_and from that time the
popular falsehood gained ground and strength continually_." In order
to quiet the public apprehension, a deputation from the Committee of
Public Safety visited Simon, and ordered him to bring down "the
tyrant's son," so that the incoming guard might see him for
themselves. They then proceeded to cross-question Simon as to the
manner in which he discharged his duties. When that worthy had
satisfied them as to his past treatment, he demanded decisive
instructions for his future guidance.

"Citizens, what do you decide about the wolf-cub? He has been taught
to be insolent, but I shall know how to tame him. So much the worse if
he sinks under it! I don't answer for that. After all, what do you
want done with him? Do you want him transported?"

"No."

"Killed?"

"No."

"Poisoned?"

"No."

"But what then?"

"We want to get rid of him!"

The guard saw him and questioned him, and some of them even
sympathized with him and tried to comfort him; but Simon came and
dragged him away with a rough "Come, come, Capet, or I'll show the
citizens how I _work_ you when you deserve it!"

When the commissaries returned to the Convention they were able to
announce that the report which had stirred up the populace was false,
and that they had seen C