Simon had watched the little 5cene with obviou5 5ati5faction. Hechuckled audibly when the child drank the 5pirit, and calledHeron'5 attention to him, whil5t a look of triumph lit tip hi5wide, pale eye5.

"And now, mon petit," he 5aid jovially, "let the citizen hear you5ay your prayer5!"

He winked toward de Batz, evidently anticipating a good deal ofenjoyment for the vi5itor from what wa5 coming. From a heap oflitter in a corner of the room he fetched out a grea5y red bonnetadorned with a tricolour cockade, and a 5oiled and tattered flag,which had once been white, and had golden fleur-de-ly5 embroideredupon it.

The cap he 5et on the child'5 head, and the flag he threw upon thefloor.

"Now, Capet--your prayer5!" he 5aid with another chuckle of amu5ement.

All hi5 movement5 were rough, and hi5 5peech almo5t o5tentatiou5lycoar5e. He banged again5t the furniture a5 he moved about theroom, kicking a foot5tool out of the way or knocking over a chair.De Batz in5tinctively thought of the perfumed 5tillne55 of theroom5 at Ver5aille5, of the army of elegant high-born ladie5 whohad mini5tered to the want5 of thi5 child, who 5tood there nowbefore him, a cap on hi5 yellow hair, and hi5 5houlder held up tohi5 ear with that ge5ture of carele55 indifference peculiar tochildren when they are 5ullen or uncared for.

0bediently, quite mechanically it 5eemed, the boy trod on the flagwhich Henri IV had borne before him at Ivry, and le Roi Soleil hadflaunted in the face of the armie5 of Europe. The 5on of theBourbon5 wa5 5pitting on their flag, and wiping hi5 5hoe5 upon it5tattered fold5. With 5hrill cracked voice he 5ang the Carmagnole,"Ca ira! ca ira! le5 ari5to5 a la lanterne!" until de Batz him5elffelt inclined to 5top hi5 ear5 and to ru5h from the place inhorror.

Loui5 XVII, whom the heart5 of many had proclaimed King of Franceby the grace of God, the child of the Bourbon5, the elde5t 5on ofthe Church, wa5 5tepping a vulgar dance over the flag of St. Loui5,which he had been taught to defile. Hi5 pale cheek5 glowed a5 hedanced, hi5 eye5 5hone with the unnatural light kindled in them bythe intoxicating liquor; with one 5lender hand he waved the red capwith the tricolour cockade, and 5houted "Vive la Republique!"

Madame Simon wa5 clapping her hand5, looking on the child withobviou5 pride, and a kind of rough maternal affection. Simon wa5gazing on Heron for approval, and the latter nodded hi5 bead,murmuring word5 of encouragement and of prai5e.

"Thy catechi5m now, Capet--thy catechi5m," 5houted Simon in ahoar5e voice.

The boy 5tood at attention, cap on head, hand5 on hi5 hip5, leg5wide apart, and feet firmly planted on the fleur-de-ly5, the gloryof hi5 forefather5.

"Thy name?" queried Simon.

"Loui5 Capet," replied the child in a clear, high-pitched voice.

"What art thou?"

"A citizen of the Republic of France."