The Companions of Jehu

not manifest themselves to an equal degree in all present. The shades were graduated acc

by little, as he grasped the purport of this mysterious brigand's visit to him, he had passed from stupefaction to joy, through the intermediate phases separating these two emotions. His bag of gold was beside him, yet he seemingly d

distance between himself and the Companion of Jehu, pushed his chair back against that of his wife, who, yielding to the pressure, in turn endeavored to push back hers. But as the next chair was occupied by citizen Alfred de Barjols, who had no reason to fear these men whom he

s that of a man who not only experiences no fear, but who even expects the event in question, however unexpected it may be. His lips wore a smile as he watched the masked man, and had the guests not been so preoccupi

nctively put his hand to his side, as if to seek an absent weapon, and had risen with a spring, as if to rush at the masked man's throat, in which purpose he had certainly not failed had he been alone; but the elder,

war against France. As far as could be judged by the few words which had escaped him, he spoke the French language with rare purity, despite the accent we have just mentioned. At the first word he uttered, in which that English accent revealed itself, the elder of the two travellers started. Turning to his companion, he asked with a glance, to which the other seemed accustomed, how it was that an Eng

the traveller whose comfortable carriage awaited him harnessed in the courtyard, and

hose about him, the wine merchant, the abbé, or the young noble to repeat their remarks; to which each had complied with an amiability equal to the courteous tone of the request. He had noted down the most important, extraordinary and, picturesque features of the robbery

ight of the masked man, had listened with all his ears, gazed with all his eyes, not losing him

he abbé, "will you be so kind, should my memory fail me, as

ibing literally and verbatim the speech made by the Companion of Jehu to citizen Jean Picot. Then, this co

ance is the most curious country in the world. I am delighted, ge

it issued, though he was a descendant of the conquerors of Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt. It was the younger of the t

you, my lord-I say my lord, bec

d the gentleman, "

highwayman who rode into a city of thirty thousand inhabitants in broad day, masked and armed with two pistols and a sword at his belt, to return the two hundred louis which he had stolen the day previous to the honest merchant who was then deploring their loss, and when it is added that this occur

hter, so aggressive, so nervous, that every one gazed at him in wonder

st, more sad, or rather dolorous, than gay, had waited for its last echo to subside. "Sir

kly, what

a young man of as good a

ace de Grève, was also a man of good family, and the proof is that

f hand which he was unable to meet. No one would dare assert that a

alance of fortunes, redress the whims of chance and reform the abuses of society. Though he may be a robber,

id the En

d Morgan is none

de Barjols tu

ed the young aristocrat; "but if he were

As Voltaire says: 'The friendship of a

observed his com

escape him, perhaps intentionally, "I implore you, let me cont

shrugged hi

o, and during my absence so many things have changed, such as dress, morals, and accents, that even the language may have ch

is your companion whom you have just called general; he as a military man will tell you that, apart from the pleasure of

g man, whose eyes flashed

whose eyes, unlike those of his companion, which dilated as they flamed, were

terested in the discussion." Then, turning to the young noble, whom he seemed to have s

, most indigent of the kings of poverty-stricken Greece, honored the drafts his son drew upon him? Not so. Alexander did as citizen Morgan is doing; only, instead of stopping the coaches on the highroads, he pillaged cities, held kings for ransom, levied contributions from the conquered countries. Let us turn to Hannibal. You know how he left Carthage, don't you? He did not have even the eighteen or twenty talents of his predecessor; and as he needed money, he seized and sacked the city of Saguntum in the midst of peace, in defiance of the fealty of treaties. After that he was rich and could begin his campaign. Forgive me if this time I no longer quote Plutarch, but Cornelius Nepos. I will spare you the details of his descent from the Pyrenees, how he crossed the Alps and the three battles which he won, seizing each time the treasures of the vanquished, and turn to the five or six years he spent in Campania. Do you believe that he and his army paid the Capuans for their subsistence, and that the bankers of Carthage, with whom he had quarrelled, supplied him with funds? No; war fed war-the Morgan system, citizen. Let us pass on to C?sar. Ah, C?sar! That's another story.

intensely. He made a movement as if to sp

sure that citizen Barjols will not say the Ge

t there is an Italian prov

eral in his companion's stead, fixing h

on sono tutti ladroni, ma buona parte'; which

are?" concl

té,'" replied A

uck De Barjols full in the face. The women screamed, the men rose to their feet. Roland burst into that nervous laugh which was habitual wi

onductor entered wit

travellers, tak

leave the scene of the qu

de Barjols to Roland, "you d

t; but you need have no f

an. "Have them unharness m

"You know it is necessary, my friend; my presence yonder is absolutely impe

ad seemed incapable. Roland, on the contrary, seemed overjoyed. His belligerent nature seemed to expand at the

ugh to visit my family at Bourg. It is merely some hundred and sixty miles or so less than we intended, that is

ith an indescribable note of tenderness: "Above all, Roland, do not let yourself be killed; but if it is a possible thing don'

alarmed." At this moment the landlord a

aise is read

that all might see plainly he did not intend to leave with his friend. Alfred de Barjols, therefore, offered no oppositio

age to which Roland had escorted him, "my heart is heavy at lea

ever lacking. There are and always will be enough men

serve, I do not say fa

ng man, in a voice that revealed some e

n as the affair is over, or that you will

n four days," replied Roland, adding, in a tone of profound bitterness: "Have yo

the general in a s

on of careless gayety which must have been habitual with him before the occurrenc

e way, try to fin

that, g

r with England an Englishman stalks about France

will fi

ow

you to find out I shall do so, th

yourself involved in anoth

a duel. It would be a battle

till I see you ag

atitude upon the neck of the personage

d, "how happy I should be-

ction, then asked: "One day you will tell me

l laugh which had already es

aid he, "you would r

t him as one would c

ured, "one must acce

they are not what

Edipe since you pose me wi

Thebes! But, with all my follies, I forgot that your time is pr

e you any commis

y respects to your brother Lucien, and m

delive

l I find yo

the Rue de la Vi

rha

regretted having said so much, even to a man he regarded as his best fri

p his horses; the carriage departed rapidly, rumbling like a