The Galley Slave's Ring

eur Lebrenn the linendraper, another scene was taking place at almost the same hour on

led with books-such was its furniture. At the head of the bed hung from the wall a species of trophy, consisting of a military cap and two light infantry under-officer's epa

ble a little heap of balls, a gunpowder pouch, and a mold to prepa

was already up. With his elbows leaning on the sill of his attic window, he seemed to be looking intently at the house of Mons

e to the sight, except for a wooden box, painted green and daintily wrought with ovolos and other carvings, that f

an expression of such profound melancholy that it was almost painful to behold. After a

ne-that was the young man's name-from his revery. He passed his

me from this insane love. Thanks to God, there will soon be a seri

ensive for a whil

father-I f

to found his bullets. He placed on the fire a small earthen dish filled with milk, crumbled into it some slices of white bread,

n of his apartment, and passed into a contiguous room, where a man of advanced age and with a kind and venerable face framed in long white hair

rge, tenderly embracing the old man.

well, m

soup. I'm afraid

ay. I heard you rise and open

felt my head heavy-I wanted

ing the night walk up

ther! Did I k

eorge, be frank with me. Ther

thing a

you have changed so much as not to be recognizable. You are no longe

you, gra

ll what I see. As far as that is concerned I can

ood, tender and uneasy about me, like a true grandma. But believe me, you alarm yourself unnecessaril

pe of the trays used by patients for eating on in their beds. After placi

boy, for such thoughtfulness

, with all my carpenter's skill, I had failed to put

everything-I know that," o

So tremulous were his motions that severa

sadly. "Just see how my hands tremble.

, on the contrary, your hands

er. There is no remedy can br

e to take your hopele

gan. And, yet, I can not accustom myself to the idea of being

! If you talk that way we

ls. At the end of twenty years, often before that, one-half of those artisans shake

ndfa

me; I repeat i

ame was father Morin; he was a widower with a daughter of about eighteen. The worthy man married his daughter to a gallant young fellow, but over-much given to

ge! G

was such a shock to her that she followed him shortly after-a

s you are! What is the sense in

ht on his mind, but one cry on his lips-'My little George.' He looked after him as lovingly as the best and tenderest of mothers. He ruined himself getting pretty clothes and pretty hats for the chap. He rigged the lit

, Ge

night and day, attended to all his needs, sent h

to tell the truth to each other, I shall have my turn, and we shall see! First of all, you were t

I done any mor

brandishing his spoon. "You! This is what you did: Good l

ther! Ta

an not fri

bowl of soup if you

s, answer, you who are always speaking of other people! When my infirmity began,

grow cold; for heaven's sak

upport; I may fail him, either through sickness, or through lack of work; he is old; secure to him a little life annuity, and I shall sell myself to you.' And you did it!" cried the old man with

g man ex

u are carrying on like the devil in a

hy and how it came about that you became a soldier, a

ep you from eating your soup. I s

!" exclaimed the old man in pitiful accents, "That de

carrying it to his mouth said while eating: "You see-you see-how bad I

fast," cried George, holding back his gr

tastes delicious!" complained the old man, moderating his pace an

enjoyed a great reputation in the regiment for

he old man and said to him a

father loves to pull at his lit

dson went for the pipe that lay on a table, filled it with tobacco, lighted it, and presented it to old

at the foot of t

u propose t

ulevard, where, if the weather is good,

iced yesterday how large the crowds were that gathered at several places. They almost

w tempting it is to do so when one's rights are invaded. It is unworthy of the

. There is nothing to fear, as far as I am conc

in myself a little reading your books, and shall look at

with a smile. "From our high floor y

s on the other side of the street, there is a thing I have meant to ask you, and always forgot. Tell me what that sign means which I see before the linendraper's house. What is the meaning

l my master detailed me to wor

h a looking sign-The Sword of Brennus! If he were an armorer, the thing might pass. True enough, there are scales in the picture,

feel bashful, at my age, to pr

e congregate near the fortifications, you read, you learn, you instruct yourse

ago I do not know, marched into Italy to attack Rome in order to punish the city for some act of treachery. The city surrendered to the Gauls and was s

cales in their interest with their thumbs. I understand that part of it. But there are yet two things I do not understand a

belonged to the race from which we descend-

you say they

grandf

scendants of th

tain

n. How do you accoun

ry, our mother country, wa

d man, taking the pipe out of his mouth. "How

lled Gaul, and was a republic, as glorious, as powerful, bu

evil y

about two thou

d years! How you do fling

Gaul; the several province

as the very trick of the clergy and

l to Gaul, centuries ago, that b

ign inv

in the meantime become powerful. They profited by the

ssacks and the Pru

do-not that they lacked the wish-the Romans did. Despite a heroic resistance, our ancestors, ever brave

a thing p

als of their masters, when those initials were

n, joining his hands with pain

ir masters had their noses and ears c

fat

ause them to be put to death under frightful tortures if they refused to cult

is recollections; "that puts me in mind of a song

ger, not so, grandfath

begins-let me s

Gauls, the w

en all around

e refr

re whom the worl

nk to into

rring to? Alas! Poor fellows, like so many others, no doubt, t

t to forget one's sorrows does not deliver on

they

s, after innumerable i

n, striking the bowl of his pipe with his nail. "Ha! Ha! Do you notice, George, sooner or later, i

orge to himself. "He little kn

proceed

elves, and stick their own fingers into the dish-otherwise there will be only crum

bed, my poor boy! I saw it

orted to Revolution. She never leaves her children in the lurch. The latter, by dint of perseverance, of energy and of their own blood copiously poured out, succeede

speak of French A

so, gra

the help of Insurrection, get back a little in

ather, wait

hy

d was as nothing to what

hey were out of the woods. Wh

enuine Cossacks they were, in their way. They fell upon the Roman armies. These, enervated by their conquest of Gaul, were rolled in the dust and driven out, and then th

"I like the Romans better, by my fa

lavery. They covered Gaul with magnificent structures, and will ye nil ye, they restored to our ancestors a part of their pristine f

od! Goo

es of Frank

sacks! Give th

d their chiefs Kings. The kingly leaven perpetuated itself in our country, whence it happens that for so many

ck right! A f

petuated itself upon our soil, whence it happens that for so long a time we have enj

of what you say, my boy, the Frankish bandits, those Cossacks, Kings and chieftains, once masters of

ls of their property, and divided among themselves the soil and th

spoiled of their goo

were forced to cultivate for the benefit of the Frankish Kings and seigneurs t

eigneurs, after having robbed our fathers of t

happened, just as one might kill his dog or horse. The theory was that our fathers and mothers belonged to the Frankish Kings and seigneurs neither more nor less than cattle belong to their owner. All this by virtue of the Frankish conquest of G

e difference betwee

term, between Frank a

Gauls allowed themselves to be martyrized in that fashion by a

Their army, a numerous body, consisted of pitiless recruits from their own country. Besides, almost exhausted by t

was wanting to

and money possible. Accordingly, just as with the conquerors themselves, a large number of holy priests held serfs whom they either sold or exploited, and lived amidst shocking debauchery, degrading, tyrannizing and brutifying at their own sweet pleasure the Gallic masses to whom they preached re

l that time, from the conquest down to the Revolution, when we turned upon those Frankish Kings and se

ings, the seigneurs and the priests. But, grandfather, I have told you the little that I know, and even t

it happen

chat with me. He would talk about the history of our fathers, of which I k

ell imag

indness. In that way I came to know the little that I have told you. But," added George with a sigh that he was unable to

er who lives opposite is

" added George, unable to avoid blushing slightly, "I heard him say to his daughter, as he proudly embrace

George heard someone rapping a

!" cried

t room that connected with th

here?" Ge

," answere

? The old Gaul?" whispered the venerable grandfather. "Go quic

it, George stepped out of his grandfather's