"No, sir; in the army. Allow me to present him. Major Herbert Greyson,

of the --th Regiment of Cavalry."

"Ou! ay! Grand ciel! This is the brave, the distinguished, the

illustrious officer, so honorably mentioned in the dispatches of the

invincible Taylor and the mighty Scott!" said the little Frenchman,

bowing his night-capped head down to his slippery toes.

Herbert smiled as he returned the bow. And then the little French

doctor, turning to Traverse said: "But your business, so important and so hasty, which has brought this

officer so illustrious down here--what is it, my friend?"

"We will have the honor of explaining to Monsieur le Docteur, over our

coffee, if he will oblige us by ordering the servant to retire," said

Traverse, who sometimes adopted, in speaking to the old Frenchman, his

own formal style of politeness. "Go, then, John!"

"Oui, oui, certainement! Allez donc, John!"

As soon as the man had gone, Traverse said: "I propose to discuss this business over our coffee, because it will

save time without interfering with our morning meal, and I know that

immediately afterwards you will go your usual round of visits to your

patients."

"Eh bien! proceed, my son! proceed!"

Traverse immediately commenced and related all that was necessary

concerning the fraud practised upon the institution by introducing into

it an unfortunate woman, represented to be mad, but really only

sorrowful, nervous and excitable. And to prove the truth of his words,

Traverse desired Herbert to read from the confession the portion

relating to this fraud, and to show the doctor the signature of the

principal and the witness.

To have seen the old French doctor then! I rejoice in a Frenchman, for

the frank abandon with which he gives himself up to his emotions! Our

doctor, after staring at the confession, took hold of the top of his

blue tasseled night-cap, pulled it off his head and threw it violently

upon the floor! Then remembering that he was exposing a cranium as bald

as a peeled potato, he suddenly caught it up again, clapped it upon his

crown and exclaimed: "Sacre! Diable!" and other ejaculations dreadful to translate, and

others again which it would be profane to set down in French or

English.

Gabriel Le Noir was no longer an officer illustrious, a gentleman noble

and distinguished, compassionate and tender; he was a robber infamous!

a villain atrocious, a caitiff ruth, and without remorse!

After breakfast the doctor consented that his young hero, his little

knight-errant, his dear son, should go to the distressed lady and open

the good news to her, while the great Major Greyson, the warrior

invincible, should go around with himself to inspect the institution.




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