The Galley Slave's Ring

nt of Plouernel into a richly furnished salon. F

of the Templars, others the civilian dress of noblemen, still others th

ation in their line of descent, the generic type of the several faces was reproduced in all. Some in beauty, others in ugliness, all by the marked distance between the eyes, together with the pronounced hook of the nose, recalled the bird of prey. Similarly, what by common accord

in a corner of the canvas. For instance, there were the names of Gonthram V, Sire of Plouernel; Gonthram IX, Count of Plouernel; Hildeberta, L

wakened a thousand memories within him. His eyes would rest meditatively upon the motionless faces, mute as those of specters. Several of the personages seemed to draw his attention violently. One of them, evidentl

ders like the plume of a helmet. His cheeks and chin were closely shaven, but a long moustache, as red as his hair, drooped down to his chest, which was tattooed in blue and

. After long contemplating it Marik Lebrenn could not refrain from shaking his fist

naked and bloodstained sword, meant, undoubtedly, to convey the idea that the weapon did not always rest inactive in its sheath. The woman was handsome, but of a haughty and sinister beauty, a beauty that betrayed a violent temperament. Her features bore the stamp of that lassitude that excesses leave in their tra

mage with disgust and horr

redegonde were immaculate virgins beside you, Marshal Retz a lamb,

eyes to heaven as if invoking its mercy

And you-ill-starr

upon another portrait. That one was dated 1237. It represented a warrior with close-clipped hair, a long r

with a fresh gesture of disgus

er his eyes as if to driv

ts had succeeded the painful ones of just before. His eyes rested delighted, almost moved with

old collar of the Order of St. Michael. A more sympathetic face it would be difficult to conceive. The l

alms it-consoles it. Thanks to God, he is not the only one

interrupted by the entrance

uld not help betraying a certain degree of emotion at finding himself face to face with a descendant of this ancient family. Moreover, it should be stated that Lebrenn had been informed by Jeanike of the colonel's frequent peering through the glass windows of h

n accent of patronizing familiarity, pointing him t

nn, bowing clumsily, "inde

terjected the Count, and he added interrogat

merchant, with a bow. "L

ng Madam Lebrenn, and of mentioning to her a lar

of linen you want, and of what quality. I have here some samples with me," he added, affecting to be busily engaged rummaging in his

y dragoons. I want a supply of four hundred and fifty shirts for them, of good quality. I also wish you to attend to

monsi

er of lin

, you embarrass me.

onsieur Lebrenn; on the contrary, yo

ll you want the shirts?" asked the merchant, rising. "If

at, my good man! Do not take your leave from me s

rders I shall sit down again. Whe

e end of n

ndred and fifty shirts, of good qual

Monsieur Lebrenn. That is a compliment that, I su

; that's true, monsieur. But y

take your eyes from the cards. Yo

one is a merchant

selling muc

o so, indi

ar Monsieur Lebrenn! That must go against your grai

siderate, monsieu

ging him up to be

He attends the Centr

w? You have only one son,

or contradicting you,

n! If she at all looks like her m

is slender-sh

oud of her. Com

it, monsieur. More th

style of expression. It must be something peculiar to St. Denis Street. He puts me in mind of

t procee

of it, I should pay a vis

she is at y

re to go through all manner of exercises on horseback. You must promise me to come some Sunday to the rehearsal wi

s too much honor to

; you are joking

ing my bo

s! Of

so my d

a question to me, my d

? You won't objec

an idea, my dear man

s it, m

ar of the tourne

ys, mon

he days of

n, monsieur; plai

e held, and at those tourneys several of my ancestors, whom you see

d following with his eyes in the direction pointed by the colonel, "I

think

eg your pardon for

re always was what was called a Queen of Beauty. She distributed the prizes to the victors. Now, then, that shall be the role for your c

young girl-to be in that way-in plain view-vis-a-vis to messieurs your dragoons-is a litt

st dames were in olden days chosen as the Queens of Beauty at t

e my daughter-you see-confound it!-she is only eight

I never thought for a moment that your

ou are! And if you will also consen

not need my consent. I am too happy, as it is, to

all the honor i

l, it is o

are too kind! I can clearly see that

yours-that charm one on the spot. Besides, I found you to b

onscience, monsieur. Only

enn must be an admirable, an honest man. I would like

know not how to

business was poor-would you like me

monsieur; that

The amount is large-I shall gi

ur, that I do not nee

re so ha

es are; that's true, monsie

to the pictures that ornamented the walls of the salon, "the times

so, mon

ps those better times

Do you

lk politics-I suppose you t

ulge myself so far. You

not to meddle in politics! It is the silly mania that spoiled everything. In those good old times, that I was speaking

t have been very co

I shoul

, the King, the priests and the seigne

st

nd peop

act

d peopl

Yes!

le did not even have the trouble to will this or that? The King, the seigneurs and the clergy took t

not despair, my dea

merchant, rising and bowing respectful

urnament. You will come, my good

hter will not fail to attend the festivi

low! It is not I who assign t

if you would

ha

daughter the gallantries tha

t you. Moreover, without further ceremony, I shall myself carry to Madam

ur good will towards us. I shall say nothing about myself; if

class fellow, m

ervant with all my heart," repe

door, he seemed to change his mind, scratched himself

he Count, rather astonished at

scratch the back of his ear, "meseems a thought st

ould you not have an idea

appens that the common people, like th

l does that word mean? I do not

rd, monsieur, which means to

d Moliere, my good fellow? Indeed, I did notice, while you

you spoke to me in the style that Don Juan uses to

e and more taken aback, and beginning to suspect that the mer

re doing me, monsieur, I, in turn, assumed the language of Monsieur Dimanche, or of Monsieur Jourdain-I beg your pardon for my great liberty-a

rted by this brusque apostrophe. "I do no

ain man-I can only speak as

very poorly. Upon my honor, you are

good bourgeois of St. Denis Street; I sell linen; I have a handsome daughter; a young seigneur-because it does seem we are returning to the

re are jokes I do not

to myself, proposes to give a tournament in honor of my daughter's pretty eyes, and to come frequently to

th vexation and rage, "by what right do you al

int. You would not, is it not true? scheme a plot that

monsieur,

nger be done, not at all, absolutely not. Monsieur Duke, or Monsieur Marquis still calls the bourgeois, men and women, of St. Denis Street rather familiarly dear Monsieur Thing, dear Madam Thing, looking, with habitual race conceit, upon the bourgeoisie as an inferior species. But, zounds! To go further than that would no longer be prudent! The bourgeois of St. Denis Street are no longer afraid, as once they w

ardly able to restrain his anger, and turning

f banter and proceeding in firm and dignified accents; "no,

t of Plouernel, furious wi

oring to introduce yourself into my house, that in tendering your services to me, it was not your intention to

im, the Count of Plouernel blushed, lowered his eyes befo

heard by the Count of Plouernel. "They are incorrigible; they have forgotten nothing, l

nsi

r, you would have ordered me whipped with switches, and hanged afterwards before the gate of your castle,

rtraits that hung from the wall, to the prof

en declared, and yet nothing would seem more monstrous to you than to marry your daughter or your sister to a bourgeois or a mechanic, whatever their worthiness and the honorable character that they might bear. Would you dare to gainsay my words? No; you might, perhaps, cite some exception, it would be but a fresh proof that such unions remain misalliances in your eyes. Trifles, you may say; they certainly are trifles-but what a gr

bearing, tone and language of the linendraper that he did not interru

to me in your capacity of linendraper probably is that the priests and nobles should be sent to the lamp-post-as

suffered, at the hands of yours, and, not during a few years, but during FIFTEEN CENTURIES OF TORMENT! Marry your daughters and sisters as it may please you, it is your right; believe in misalliances

ieur, what business is it of

suffer. You asked what was the moral of this lesson in history? It is this, monsieur," the merchant proceeded: "Being jealous of the liberties that our fathers conquered at the price of their blood and their martyrdom;-seeing we do not wish to be treated any longer as a conquered race; I in my capacity of an elector vote against

ns the compli

No, no, a thousand times no! Liberty has cost us too dear to conquer; we prize it too highly to seek to deprive others of it. It is not our fault, it is yours; since 1789 your foreign alliances, civil war instigated by yourselves, your constant attempts at counter-revolution, your intimate relations with the clerical party-all that keeps thoughtful people in alarm and afflicts them, while it irritates an

ount of Plouernel was touched by his words. His indomitable race pride struggled with his

r, the major-adjutant of the Count's regiment, who, rushin

but orders have just been issued to have the regiment mount horse

leave the salon when the Co

ether with your republican opinions, it is quite possible that

" answered the linendraper; "but I nei

ith a smile

that the order for l

lied the colonel, bowing stiffly