Captain Fracasse

e of good fortune did not often fall to their lot, and they rejoiced in it exceedingly. The tyrant had distributed among them each one's share of the marquis's liberal re

mphant, and could afford to be laughed at-indeed, joined heartily in the general merriment at her own expense-while Serafina sulked openly, with "envy, hatred, and malice" filling her heart. Poor Lean

d unobserved by the rest of the company, but did not escape the wily valet, who was always on the lookout for a chance to torment Leander; his monstrous self-conceit being intensely ex

ountenance, after he had capered stark naked, for a love penance, among the rocks in the Sierra Morena, in humble imitation of his favourite hero, Amadis de Gaul. You look as if you had not slept at all last night, and ha

a lantern to find the way to those fortunate individuals he favours with a visit," Leander replied, h

ady in my life; but still, I do know this much, that the mischievous little god, Cupid, according to all the

nterrupted quickly, growing seriously unea

f it a long, black mark, which to-morrow will be indigo, the day after green, and then yellow, until it fades away altogether, like any other bruise-a black mark tha

e his tormentor; "doubtless some dead and gone beauty, who loved me passionately during her lifetime, has come back and kissed me there while I was sleeping; as is well known

ed Scapin, incredulously; "but I would be willing to take my oath that yonder vigorous ki

ou are! is nothing sacred to you?" br

a living one. Ignorant and unsophisticated though you claim to be, have you never heard of kisses so ardent that suc

upted the pedant, charmed to

onable if incomprehensible authority; but the mark is so long that this nocturnal beauty of yours, dead or alive, must have had

ain in his back, which was striped like a zebra's, was so excruciating, that he sank back into his place with a suppressed groan, and concluded to postpone his revenge to some more convenient season. Herode and Blazius, who were accustomed to settle such

the intersection of the two highways. A group, consisting of two men and three mules, stood at its foot, apparently awaiting some one's arrival. As they approached, one of the mules, as if weary of standing still, impatiently shook its head, which was gaily decorated with bright, many-coloured tufts and tas

ts and shows her teeth," said one of

olled into the open space. Zerbine, who sat in front, glanced composedly at the littl

ly do their fifteen or twenty leagues a day, I'll venture, and if we were mounted on the like we should soon find ourselves in Pari

st mule is intended for a lady-don'

in the wind; those two equerries, in gray liveries, ce

Zerbine, demurely, with a sign

capin; "one of the men is coming this way by himself, a

na, casting a scornful glance at the s

go of their own accord, witho

ould like to be," retorted the soubrette, "but the de

p, and, cap in hand, politely asked if Mlle. Zerbine was among them. The soubrette hersel

altogether; he would be a fool who let it slip through his fingers, for once relinquished it returns not again. The face of Fortune, which until now has always frowned upon me, at last vouchsafes me a smile, and I am delighted to enjoy its brightness, even though it may prove to be only fleeting. In my humble role of soubrette, I could not aspire to, or expect to receive, the admiration of rich lords and gentlemen-that is for m

the chariot, and threw a kiss to Isabelle from her finger tips, then, aided by one of the equerries, sprang to her place behind him, on the back of the Colonelle, as lightly and gracefully as

e comedians heartily, one and all; save only Serafi

ne to replace her, even in Paris; she is really incomparable in her own role-but she was not in any way bound to stay with us a moment longer than she chose. We shall have to substitute a duenna, or a

r route at frequent intervals, and surrounded by large, luxuriant gardens, spoke of a well-to-do population. On each side of the broad, smooth road was a row of fine trees, whose falling leaves lay piled upon the ground in yellow heaps, or whirled in the wind before de Sigognac and Isabelle, as they walked along beneath their spreading branches, finding the exercise a welcome relief after sitting for a long time in the chariot in rather a cramped position. One day as they were walking thus side by side, de Sigognac said to his f

ctress, played the part of tragic princess. She did not confine her role to the theatre, but exacted as much deference and respect from those around her when off the stage, as she received upon it, until she came to consider herself a veritable princess. She had all the majesty and grace of one, and was greatly admired and courted, but never would suffer any of the gallants, who flutter about pretty actresses like moths around a candle, to approach her-holding herself entirely above them, and keeping her good name unsullied through everything. An account of this unusual conduct on the part of a beautiful young actress chanced to

at explains it all; princely blood does flo

aded away, dying at last when I was only about seven years old. Even then I used to appear upon the stage in parts suitable to my age. I was a precocious little thing in many ways. My mother's death caused me a grief far more acute than most children, even a good deal older than I was then, are capable of feeling. How well I remember being punished because I refused to act the part of one of Medea's children, the day after she died. But my grief was not very long-lived-I was but a child after all, and the actors and actresses of the troupe were so good to me, always petting me, and devising all sorts of ways to please and divert me-theatrical people are proverbially kind to comrades in distress, you know. The pedant, who belonged to our company, and looked just as old and wrinkled then as he does now, took the greatest interest in me, constituted himself my master, and taught me thoroughly and indefatigably all the secrets of the histrionic art-taking unwearied pains with me. I could not have had a better teacher; perhaps you do not know that

listeners, Isabelle related the story of her life to de Sigognac, who was a most at

," said he, after a short p

peace to disclose it," she replied; "but

aining to you of his conn

ad lavished upon her that my mother kept, and that entirely on account of the associations connected with it, not f

Sigognac's purse-who had contributed all that he possessed to the common fund, in spite of the protestations of his comrades in distress. The chariot was drawn now by a single horse-instead of the four with which they had set off so triumphantly from the Chateau de Bruyeres-and such a horse! a miserable, old, broken-down hack, whose ribs were so prominent that he looked as if he lived upon barrel-hoops instead of oats and hay; his lack-lustre eyes, dr

e sudden remembrance of his dear old friends and followers his throat contracted spasmodically, and he almost sobbed aloud; but he looked back at Isabelle, wrapped in her cloak and sitting serenely in the front of the chariot, and took fresh courage, feeling glad that he could be near her in this dark hour, to do all that mortal man, struggling against such odds, could compass for her comfort and protection. She responded to his appealing glance with a sweet smile, tha

bending under the weight of the fagots they carried on their backs, they had not seen a human being all day long. The spiteful magpies, that seemed to be the only inhabitants of this dreary waste, danced about in front of them, chattering and almost laughing at them, as if r

has been plucking her geese, and is shaking the feathers out of her apron down upon us. She might a great deal better send us the geese themselves. I fo

d welcome now an omelette such as they gave us this morning, and swallow it without wink

the increasing violence of the storm-and Blazius said to him, "This is a trying time, my lord, and I regret very much that you should have to share

snowflakes and a biting wind; but it is for these poor, suffering women that I am troubled; they are exposed to s

hat would be simply unendurable to many of their sex, who have never been subjected

t would have been downright cruelty to strike him. As to Matamore, he had lingered behind, and they were expecting every moment to see his tall, spare figure emerge from the gloom with rapid strides and rejoin them. Finally the storm became so violent that it was impossible to face it any longer; and though it was so important that they should reach the next village before the daylight was all gone, they were forced to halt, and turn the chariot, with its back to the wind. The poor old horse, utterly exhausted by this last effort, slipped and fell, and without making any attempt to rise lay panting on the ground. Our unhappy travellers found themselves in a sad predicament indeed-wet, cold, tired and hungry, all in the superlative degree-blinded by the drivin

e?" cried Blazius suddenly; "has the win

stage properties at the back of the chariot; I have known him curl himself down there for a nap before now. Holloa! Matamore! where are you? wake up

oudest tones, which might have waked the seven sl

at all today," said one of the actresses;

is is very strange. I hope no accid

storm on the lee side of the trunk of a tree somewhe

dly upon the earth, as it does after the short days of December. The distant howling of a dog now came to their ears, to add to the lugubrious effect of their surroundings, but they were all so troubled at the strange absence of their comrade that their own individual miseries were for the moment

poor Matamore," cried the tyrant, and his voice tre

hey had been before, if that were possible, and made the si

the lantern with us; it will as a guiding star to him if he has wandered off f

len snow, which had completely obliterated all traces of footsteps, made the task of looking for the missing actor a very difficult one, and after walking nearly a mile without seeing a sign of him, they began to fear that their search would prove fruitless. They kept calling, "Matamore! Matamore!" but there was no reply, nothing to

s dead, stiff and stark, with wide-open, sunken eyes staring out vaguely into the darkness, and his ghastly face wearing that pinched, indescribable expression which the mortal puts on when the spirit that dwelt within has fled. The three who had found him thus were inexpressibly shocked, and stood for a moment speechless and motionless, in the presence of death. The tyrant was the first to recover himself, and hoping that some sign of life migh

to make his way against that terrible wind, turned aside and sat down under this tree, to wait until its violence should be spent; but he had not flesh enough on his bones to keep them warm, and must have been quickly frozen through and through. He has starved himself more than ever la

ot leave it here for dogs, and wolves, and birds of prey to devour-though indeed I

et, retired spot, where he will not be likely to be disturbed. Unfortunately we cannot do better for him than that, for we, poor actors, are excluded by our hard-hearted and very unjust step-mother, the church, from her cemeteries; she denies us the security and comfort of being laid to rest for our last long sleep in consecrated groun

eous crime had been committed; the two men bearing the dead body away at night, lighted by the third with his lantern, which threw their shadows, long, black and misshapen, upon the startling whiteness of the snow, as they advanced with measured tread. Those who had remained with the chariot saw from afar the glimmer of de Sigognac's

nd nothing can ever hurt him again-he is cured forever of t

he bent to look at the face of the poor comic actor, for he had a tender heart und

as well," Blazius replied, in a voic

de; "but relieve us, please, it is your turn now; we have carried the

d snow, Isabelle and Serafina sprang to the ground to meet them, but the duenna did not leave her seat-with age had come apathy, and selfishness had never been wanting. When they saw poor Matamore stiff and mot

nd willing to go forward again-so their most serious difficulty was removed. Matamore's body was laid in the chariot, and carefully covered with a large piece of white linen they fortunately happened to have among their heterogeneous belongings, the women resumed their seats, not without a slight shudder as they thought of their ghastly companion, and the men walked-Scapin going in front with the lantern, and Herode leading the horse. They could not make very rapid progress, but at the end of two hours perceived-oh, welcome sight!-the first

d that he had succeeded in rousing somebody. A ray of light shone through the cracks in the rickety old door, then it was cautiously opened just a little, and an aged, withered crone, striving to protect the flame of her flaring candle from the wind with one skinny hand, and to hold the rags of her most extraordinary undress together with the other, peered out at them curiously. She was evidently just as she had turned out of her bed, and a more revolting, witch-like old hag it would be hard to find; but she bade the belated travellers ente

the chase," said Blazius; "the dogs out there in the court might find it out. Besides, he had been

poor, distracted, old creature, who was beside herself with terror, and made her listen to the story of poor Matamore's death. When, at last, she fully understood the true state of the case, she went and fetched more candles, which she lighted and disposed symmetrically about the dead body, and kindly offered to sit up and watch it with Mme. Leonarde-also to do all that was necessary and usual for it-adding that she was always sent for in the village when there was a death, to perform those last, sad offices.

pon the stage by sovereign pontiffs or venerable necromancers, did duty as a pall-not inappropriately surely. The little cortege left the inn by a small door in the rear that opened upon a deserted common, so as to avoid passing through the street and rousing the curiosity of the villagers, and set off towards a retired spot, indicated by the friendly old woman, where no one would be likely to witness or interfere with their proceedings. The early morning was gray and cold, the sky leaden-no one had ventured abroad yet save a few peasants searching for dead wood and sticks, who looked with suspicious eyes upon the strange little procession making its way slowly through the untrodden snow, but did not attempt to approach or molest it. They reached at last the lonely spot where they were to leave the mortal remains of poor Matamore, and the stable-boy, who had accompanied them carrying a spade, set to work to dig the grave. Sev

the mysterious little funeral procession, without priest, crucifix, or lighted

d bier, and followed the baron into the thick of the crowd, raining blows right and left among their cowardly assailants; who, though they far outnumbered the little band of comedians, fled before the vigorous attack of de Sigognac and Herode, cursing and swearing, and shouting out violent threats as they withdrew. Poor Matamore's humble obsequies were completed without further hindrance. When the first spadeful

place as fast as we can; we have nothing more to do here, and the sooner we quit it the better. Those brutes that attacked us may return with reinforcements-indeed I think it more than likely that they will-in which case your sword, my dear baron, and my stick might not be enough t

ly agreed to follow it, and in less than an hour, after having se