, 1891-08-02

~
The Dor 1Uds fun Of jctrcls.
In a small private room in the palace
of the Tuileries, in Paris, two men were
sitting. One, n young gentleman about
five and twenty years of age, occupied a
desk near the window that looked out
upon a broad, inclosed court, where a
sentinel, in blue coat and red pegtop
trousers, was pacing his beat. There
was n quantity of papers on the desk,
and the young gentleman was writing a
summary of the contents of these on the
backs of them and filing them away. A
light snow was falling outside and melt
ing as it fell, for the winter Of eighteen
hundred and s%ixty-nine was still lingcr-
ing in the first months of eighteen hun
dred and seventy.
The otter parsonage in the room was
n man OF maNure years. lie was barely
of middle height, but his figure was com
pact, and his shoulders broad and thick.
His face, somewhat feshy about the
jaws, and of a dull complexion, had an
aquiline nose, a carefully waNed mus
tache and "A pointed imperial. The eyes
We're wide apart, and the heavy lids
dropping over them gave them a SOM
nolent aspect; yet, examining them more
in%tentively, you would perceive that
they were eyes that nothing escaped
-watchful. penetrating, impenetrable
eyes. For the rest this cuuntenance bore
the marks of anxiety and i'll health;
there were heavy lines beneath the eyes,
the forehead was furrowed and the hair
was thin on its conical summit. Withal
both ace and figure had n certain dig
nifty and power as to one accustomed to
being unquestioningly obeyed. The mag
wore a black broadcloth coat, "A white
waistcoat and gray trousers. Diagonally
across his breast lay n broad, blue sash.
He was leaning back in his chair smok
ing a cigarette, and seemingly plunged
in meditation.
A knock came at the door. The
younger man rose. walked to the door
and opened it. After u brief colloquy
he turned and said in French: Sire,
there is n person here who desires an au-
dience. He says
"What name, Raoul?' interrupted the
other.
''Solange, sire"
Every good. He comes by appoint
ment. Let him enter. And you, my
dear Raoul, will take your place behind
the thin partition during the interview.
l hope to be able to trust this man, but
1t will be necessary to take precaution.'
The young man bowed, at the same
time throwing open the door to admit
the visitor, and himself passing out and
closing it behind him. The newcomer
on entering made "A military salute, and
then stood, cap in hand, with his eyes
fixed gu the inscrutable visage before
him. He was near fifty years of age, of
vigorous physique, with n thick, mus
cular neck. black hair cropped short,
heavy black eyebrows and n fierce mus
tache. He wa plainly clad, but though
his dress was that of n civilian he had
the bearing of n soldier.
Captain Maurice Solange," said the
gentleman with the cigarette, lyon and
1 became acquainted some years since at
the battle of Solferino. You were then
a private in the Twenty-third regiment.
1 had lost my aid-de-camp, and intrust-
ed you with n dispatch to General Ton
tame, on left wing. On your way
to him you were wounded in the breast
with a rifle ball. You delivered the dis.
patch, however, and returned with his
answer. In handing it to me You fell
from loss of blood. l had you taken tt
my tent and placed in charge of my best
surgeons. On your recovery you wer,
promoted to be corporal"
Captain Solange bowed low. "YoI
remember it, sire?'
"Oh, very well. l also remember tina
on several subsequent occasions | com
mitted to you the execution of or
ders involving danger and demanding
prudence, f"aithfulness and courage Fol
your successful performance Of thes,
duties you were promoted to be sergeant
and finally captain. From a to yeal
/ have not lost sight of You. My uncle
and myself have found no better serv.
ants than among those who have sprung,
like you, from the ranks. | now desire
You to afford me n reason for b~estowing
upon you the Cross Of the Legion OF
Honor. Would you care 10 possess it,"
My emperor, my one happiness is tc
serve you. My n grief, that i cannot
serve you enough"
.'Ah, a pretty compliment In return
/ ave a compliment for you. In France
are thirty million Frenchmen. of these
thirty million / have chosen one mar
whom, for n certain important duty, ]
can trust most implicitly. Who is thai
man, Captain Solange?'
The captain stood erect and expanded
his chest. "Sire, that mar is myselfr'
The emperor twisted his mustache t,
conceal a faint smile. The bluff soldier
in his artless vanity. had no notion o
criticising the parvenu character Of a,
empire which was compelled to intrus
some of its most vital secrets to its hum
blest subjects. But a the world nov
knows France early in 1870 was ''danc
ing on a volcano" De Morney, the n.
tute statesman, to whom n mission o
confidence might have been i~ntrusted
was dead; some say he was the hal
brother of Napoleon. Prince Bonapart
had just shot Victor Noir. The CROWN
prominence of Gambetta, the lampoon
of Rochefort. indicated the rise of Lil
g~x.su rms AaIVR