The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-06 00:00:00

tempter.
The old man gazed at his host with inexpressible emotion ;
he could not restrain the tears which first glistened in his
eyes and then coursed down his cheeks.
" True, Pierre, true," said he ; " misery and shame are
two sisters always attendant upon misfortune. Come, I ac-
cept your wine. You shall treat me, good friend, this time ;
pour out a glass for yourself. Here's a bumper to your
health "

said mine host, who showed great de-
" but let us in doors, where something

" Good health, sir,"
ference to his guest ;
more substantial awaits us.
The old man rose, with an intention of departing. Pierre
—confused and evidently embarrassed, permitted him to take
a few steps, when, taking him by the hand, said, respectfully,
" You have good credit, sir, at the Burgundy Vineyard. If
you have forgotten your purse, you must not depart without
breakfast ; tomorrow—any time you please—you can pay
your reckoning."
The old man quietly followed his entertainer, who soon set
out the materials for a substantial meal. As if to excuse
himself for his liberality, and place his friend at his ease, he
said, " When they play one of your pieces you shall give me
a ticket."
The old man was Dorvigne, the dramatist !
" You shall have two this evening. Brunet, lam sure,
will give you the best sittings in the house when he knows
what care you show for a poor old man like me. I will fetch
them and bring them to you to-day."
" Nay, good sir; It is too far for you to go on purpose.
You shall bring me the tickets to-morrow, or any other day
when you come this way."
" Friend Pierre, you shall have them this day ; to-night
they play one of my pieces—The Simpleton. That will per-
haps amuse you."
Ha, ha! that it will ; I shall enjoy it, I know."
" Ah, my friend, the old man to whom you !save behaved
with such kindness—who but for you might have died of
hunger—will make many laugh to-night. They who applaud
his wit and humour will not enquire after his fate."
" But your pieces ought surely to bring you money ?"
" Poverty is not a vice, my friend ; but it is—as Voltaire,
whose bust I see yonder on the mantle-shelf, says—much
worse. To live through the last month, I have been obliged
to sell all my resources for this : those resources arise from
the productions of other days : for at present age and misery
have deprived my mind of all its strength and vigour. I sel-
dom now offer any vaudevilles to the managers ; for, although
they receive them and sometimes pay me, they never play
them. I can see that it is merely out of commiseration that
they accept them, and to have an excusable reason for afford-
ing me relief. My good friend, you are the first, and shall
be the last, from whom I will accept succour. The son of
Louis XV. must resign his post of mental merry-andrew ;
but he will never fall to the sad and shameful condition of a
beggar. The canal runs coldly below ; that shall be his
resting place. You look on me with surprise ; you think I
am becoming foolish. It is not so, my friend. I, Louis
Dorvigne, am the son of a king. My mother was a poor or-
phan girl, daughter of the Conte D'Archambaud. She was
seduced by Louis XV., and died in giving me birth. During
my youth an invisible protector watched constantly over me,
directed my education, and supplied my wants—furnishing
me with money to make an honourable appearance in the
world. All at once the hand that assisted me was withdrawn.
It then became necessary, seriously to consider how I should
gain a living. I have done so till strength, and health, and
talent have failed me. This is my history, my friend. Of
royalorigin—attended by success—reputation almost amount-
`ing to glory—am I reduced so far as to be compelled to accept
' the gift of a breakfast. Well we must be contented, and
endure with resignation. Good bye, and thank you : you
shall have the tickets without delay.
CHAPTER lI.—AN OLD FRIEND.
The old man departed. As he reached the outer gate of
the garden the appearance of a number of troops, which
marched past the Burgundy Vintage, arrested his steps, and
compelled him to wait until the whole mass had gone by.
Dorvigne stood to observe the regiments as they moved
towards their barracks, in the Fauberg St. Antoine. They
had been reviewed by the Emperor.
First came the drums, next the bands; then the officers,
the soldiers following. In the midst rode a general, mounted
on a magnificent Andalusian charger. He was attired in a
richly embroidered uniform, his breast being covered with de-
corations. His bronzed face, here and there marked by a
scar, was also made remarkable by a pair of fierce red mous-

taches.
He cast his eyes mechanically towards " the Burgund
Vintage." At the sight of Dorvigne he could not resist an
exclamation of surprise. Without disturbing the march of
the troops, he beckoned two soldiers to follow him.
Throwing himself from his horse, he stood for a moment
opposite to the Dramatist ; when, throwing his arms around
him, he embraced him two or three times, with the most
lively tokens of affection.
Dorvigne received with much surprise the caresses of an
officer of such high rank, whose features be endeavoured in
vain to recognise. Those features were quite unknown to
him.
" What! you do not remember me ? Have twenty years
of absence so changed me, that my good and excellent mas,
ter does not know his old servant ? one whom he has.treated
times out of number with such indulgence ?"
" Dubois!"
" Yes, I am Jean Dubois—` the Sinipleton,' as you used
to call me. It is unkind of you to forget me, because I have
supplied you with a model for the most original and success-
ful of your dramatic creations."
" What, my poor boy—what, sir, I should say—have you
—have you become a general ? "
" Yes, good old friend. In your service I was a sad awk-
ward fellow, and a great breaker of plates. In the service of
the republic and the Emperor, I became a great smasher of
our enemies. That which caused me many a reprimand from
you, was the stepping-stone in the army to my advancement.
But how happy am Ito meet you again ! Two weeks ago I
arrived in Paris : day by day have I sought for your address,
and I was about giving up my search in despair."
" For my address "—said Dorvigne bitterly ; " that was
because I have none, my friend—General, I should say."
" Call me friend ; that shall now be my name. Since you
have no address, you shall take mine, and instal yourself at
home with me."
" General!"
" A general, you know, is accustomed to have his wishes
executed promptly, and punctually, and with precision. You
shall occupy a little room beside mine. It shall be:so."
" But, general!"
"Do you resist? Then I take you prisoner."
" Fetch a cabriolet," said Dubois to one of the orderlies
who attended him, "and you take my horse to the barracks."
In two minutes the cabriolet was ready.
" Come, Monsieur Dorvigne, take your seat."
Dorvigne, half laughing, half resisting, did as requested.
The next moment his old servant was by his side.
" On my way home," said General Dubois " I will in-
form you how I attained my present rank, as it appears to
astonish you so much. You have not perhaps, forgotten the
day on which I was compelled to quit your service, telling
me you were not rich enough to maintain a servant. I parted
weepingly from one so full of kindness towards me, and I en-
deavoured to enter into the service of a new master. No one
would have me, because I was so awkward. There was no-
thing left for me but to enter into the service of the state.
I enrolled myself in the army. I soon found my comrades
lost no opportunity to laugh at my bungling, and ridicule the
way I managed my firelock. On one occasion I became an-
gry, the consequence of which was, I challenged my tor-
mentors to fight a duel. All I gained by this was three or
four cuts of a sabre, and a sojourn for a few months in the
hospital.
At length I was cured, and rejoined my regiment. Six
weeks afterwards we found ourselves in front of an enemies'
redoubt, which sustained a murderous fire upon us. Orders
were issued to the grenadiers to take it by assault : we ruehed
forward : my comrades fell thickly around me : those who
remained appeared to hesitate, and were on the point of re-
treating. I threw myself by a successful lean into the re-
doubt and shouted, ` Follow me, grenadiers.' The Austrians,
intimidated, paralysed with surprise, believed me followed
by my regiment, and for a moment ceased firing gre-
nadiers, encouraged by my example, quickly pushed forward
and supported me. We availed ourselves of the moment,
and were soon in possession of the place. A dozen pieces of
cannon fell into our hands.
"The next day I was appointed sergeant. The jeers and
jests of my comrades then ceased never to be renewed. My
talent for destroying seemed to be put forth in tenfold power.
From that moment a wide and brilliant career was opened to
deeds.
me. I gained promotion step by step until I attained my
present rank of general, with no other patronage than my
courage. Each advance in rank has been the reward of glo-
rious
and
ge-
neral.
I may not, good friend, always remain a ge-
Dorvi '
Dorvigne was quickly installed in a charming little "shookapart-
ment, a hand with the fair world again." His
flashes of mirthpaonetd
days seemed lik
peace, and repose. Mixing
gilded sunset passing off in quietness,
againwit burst from his lips, enchanting his
once again amongst his equals,
the charm of his conversation. hearers. The
delighted those around him with
host at the rspn. Nor wia he forgetful of his
"Burgundy..a,
omeyard." Through the interest
of his friend General
e of peacelb it ai,lne substantialruesstless
Napoleon
turned
were
stowed
his
Aft After
r uponsom e him.tiin
thither.
attention to the conquest of
the great grief of the dramatist, orderedWaseisaa"General Dubois, to
For the first three weeks of the
.ave the pleasant little nest
frequent communications to his old PriPeanigntiitehme general sent
sthenatt
All at once they
ceased, arid Dorvigne one morning read in the
Duitbonioswhabdecfaalmleen
nbeecfoesresalryroscruowle
../
peere
the general had provided. Poor Dorvigne
• once more fell
into misery.
He went to lodge in a small garret behind the -Pte
sa St.
Martin. There having parted with everything he os
bent double by age, and afflicted with a troublesome corn.
plaint, he applied to the Theatre de Varieties, (the fortune of
which he had beep instrumental in establishing,) for a small
pension, apd—was refused.