was a man of the middle age； he had a face of a mulberry colour；
round black eyes； comical tufted eyebrows； and a protuberant
forehead； and was dressed in clothes of a Quakerish cut。 In spite
of his plainness； he had that inscrutable air of a man well…to…do
in his affairs。 I conceived he had been some while observing me
from a distance； for a sparrow sat betwixt us quite unalarmed on
the breech of a piece of cannon。 So soon as our eyes met； he drew
near and addressed me in the French language； which he spoke with a
good fluency but an abominable accent。
'I have the pleasure of addressing Monsieur le Vicomte Anne de
Keroual de Saint…Yves？' said he。
'Well；' said I； 'I do not call myself all that； but I have a right
to； if I chose。 In the meanwhile I call myself plain Champdivers；
at your disposal。 It was my mother's name； and good to go
soldiering with。'
'I think not quite；' said he； 'for if I remember rightly； your
mother also had the particle。 Her name was Florimonde de
Champdivers。'
'Right again！' said I； 'and I am extremely pleased to meet a
gentleman so well informed in my quarterings。 Is monsieur Born
himself？' This I said with a great air of assumption； partly to
conceal the degree of curiosity with which my visitor had inspired
me； and in part because it struck me as highly incongruous and
comical in my prison garb and on the lips of a private soldier。
He seemed to think so too； for he laughed。
'No； sir；' he returned； speaking this time in English； 'I am not
〃BORN；〃 as you call it； and must content myself with DYING； of
which I am equally susceptible with the best of you。 My name is
Mr。 Romaine … Daniel Romaine … a solicitor of London City； at your
service； and； what will perhaps interest you more； I am here at the
request of your great…uncle； the Count。'
'What！' I cried； 'does M。 de Keroual de St。…Yves remember the
existence of such a person as myself； and will he deign to count
kinship with a soldier of Napoleon？'
'You speak English well；' observed my visitor。
'It has been a second language to me from a child；' said I。 'I had
an English nurse； my father spoke English with me； and I was
finished by a countryman of yours and a dear friend of mine； a Mr。
Vicary。'
A strong expression of interest came into the lawyer's face。
'What！' he cried； 'you knew poor Vicary？'
'For more than a year；' said I； 'and shared his hiding…place for
many months。'
'And I was his clerk； and have succeeded him in business；' said he。
'Excellent man！ It was on the affairs of M。 de Keroual that he
went to that accursed country； from which he was never destined to
return。 Do you chance to know his end； sir？'
'I am sorry；' said I； 'I do。 He perished miserably at the hands of
a gang of banditti； such as we call CHAUFFEURS。 In a word； he was
tortured； and died of it。 See；' I added； kicking off one shoe； for
I had no stockings； 'I was no more than a child； and see how they
had begun to treat myself。'
He looked at the mark of my old burn with a certain shrinking。
'Beastly people！' I heard him mutter to himself。
'The English may say so with a good grace；' I observed politely。
Such speeches were the coin in which I paid my way among this
credulous race。 Ninety per cent。 of our visitors would have
accepted the remark as natural in itself and creditable to my
powers of judgment； but it appeared my lawyer was more acute。
'You are not entirely a fool； I perceive；' said he。
'No；' said I； 'not wholly。'
'And yet it is well to beware of the ironical mood；' he continued。
'It is a dangerous instrument。 Your great…uncle has； I believe；
practised it very much； until it is now become a problem what he
means。'
'And that brings me back to what you will admit is a most natural
inquiry；' said I。 'To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit？
how did you recognise me？ and how did you know I was here？'
Carefull separating his coat skirts； the lawyer took a seat beside
me on the edge of the flags。
'It is rather an odd story；' says he； 'and； with your leave； I'll
answer the second question first。 It was from a certain
resemblance you bear to your cousin； M。 le Vicomte。'
'I trust； sir； that I resemble him advantageously？' said I。
'I hasten to reassure you；' was the reply： 'you do。 To my eyes； M。
Alain de St。…Yves has scarce a pleasing exterior。 And yet； when I
knew you were here； and was actually looking for you … why； the
likeness helped。 As for how I came to know your whereabouts； by an
odd enough chance； it is again M。 Alain we have to thank。 I should
tell you； he has for some time made it his business to keep M。 de
Keroual informed of your career； with what purpose I leave you to
judge。 When he first brought the news of your … that you were
serving Buonaparte； it seemed it might be the death of the old
gentleman； so hot was his resentment。 But from one thing to
another； matters have a little changed。 Or I should rather say；
not a little。 We learned you were under orders for the Peninsula；
to fight the English； then that you had been commissioned for a
piece of bravery； and were again reduced to the ranks。 And from
one thing to another （as I say）； M。 de Keroual became used to the
idea that you were his kinsman and yet served with Buonaparte； and
filled instead with wonder that he should have another kinsman who
was so remarkably well informed of events in France。 And it now
became a very disagreeable question； whether the young gentleman
was not a spy？ In short； sir； in seeking to disserve you； he had
accumulated against himself a load of suspicions。'
My visitor now paused； took snuff； and looked at me with an air of
benevolence。
'Good God； sir！' says I； 'this is a curious story。'
'You will say so before I have done；' said he。 'For there have two
events followed。 The first of these was an encounter of M。 de
Keroual and M。 de Mauseant。'
'I know the man to my cost；' said I： 'it was through him I lost my
commission。'
'Do you tell me so？' he cried。 'Why； here is news！'
'Oh； I cannot complain！' said I。 'I was in the wrong。 I did it
with my eyes open。 If a man gets a prisoner to guard and lets him
go； the least he can expect is to be degraded。'
'You will be paid for it；' said he。 'You did well for yourself and
better for your king。'
'If I had thought I was injuring my emperor；' said I； 'I would have
let M。 de Mauseant burn in hell ere I had helped him； and be sure
of that！ I saw in him only a private person in a difficulty： I let
him go in private charity； not even to profit myself will I suffer
it to be misunderstood。'
'Well； well；' said the lawyer； 'no matter now。 This is a foolish
warmth … a very misplaced enthusiasm； believe me！ The point of the
story is that M。 de Mauseant spoke of you with gratitude； and drew
your character in such a manner as greatly to affect your uncle's
views。 Hard upon the back of which； in came your humble servant；
and laid before him the direct proof of what we had been so long
suspecting。 There was no dubiety permitted。 M。 Alain's expensive
way of life； his clothes and mistresses； his dicing and racehorses；
were all explained： he was in the pay of Buonaparte； a hired spy；
and a man that held the strings of what I can only call a
convolution of extremely fishy enterprises。 To do M。 de Keroual
justice； he took it in the best way imaginable； destroyed the
evidences of the one great…nephew's disgrace … and transferred his
interest wholly to the other。'
'What am I to understand by that？' said I。
'I will tell you；' says he。 'There is a remarkable inconsistency
in human nature which gentlemen of my cloth have a great deal of
occasion to observe。 Selfish persons can live without chick or
child； they can live without all mankind except perhaps the barber
and the apothecary； but when it comes to dying； they seem
physically unable to die without an heir。 You can apply this
principle for yourself。 Viscount Alain； though he scarce guesses
it； is no longer in the field。 Remains； Viscount Anne。'
'I see；' said I； 'you give a very unfavourable impression of my
uncle； the Count。'
'I had not meant it；' said he。 'He has led a loose life … sadly
loose … but he is a man it is impossible to know and not to admire；
his courtesy is exquisite。'
'And so you think there is actually a chance for me？' I asked。
'Understand；' said he： 'in saying as much as I have done； I travel
quite beyond my brief。 I have been clothed with no capacity to
talk of wills； or heritages； or your cousin。 I was sent here to
make but the one communication： that M。 de Keroual desires to meet
his great…nephew。'
'Well；' said I； looking about me on the battlements by which we sat
surrounded； 'this is a case in which Mahomet must certainly come to
the mountain。'
'Pardon me；' said Mr。 Romaine； 'you know already your uncle is an
aged man； but I have not yet told you that he is quite broken up；
and his death shortly looked for。 No； no； there is no doubt about
it … it is the mountain that must come to Mahomet。'
'From an Englishman； the remark is certainly significant；' said I；
'but you are of course； and by trade； a keeper of men's secrets；
and I see you keep that of Cousin Alain； which is not the mark of a
truculent patriotism； to say the least。'
'I am first of all the lawyer of your family！' says he。
'That being so；' said I； 'I can perhaps stretch a point myself。
This rock is very high； and it is very steep； a man might come by a
devil of a fall from almost any part of it； and yet I believe I
have a pair of wings that might carry me just so far as to the
bottom。 Once at the bottom I am helpless。'