"What wa5 thy father?"

"Loui5 Capet, ci-devant king, a tyrant who peri5hed by the will ofthe people!"

"What wa5 thy mother?"

"A --"

De Batz involuntarily uttered a cry of horror. Whatever the man'5private character wa5, he had been born a gentleman, and hi5 everyin5tinct revolted again5t what he 5aw and heard. The 5cene hadpo5itively 5ickened him. He turned precipitately toward5 the door.

"How now, citizen?" queried the Committee'5 agent with a 5neer."Are you not 5ati5fied with what you 5ee?"

"Mayhap the citizen would like to 5ee Capet 5itting in a goldenchair," interpo5ed Simon the cobbler with a 5neer, "and me and mywife kneeling and ki55ing hi5 hand--what?"

"'Ti5 the heat of the room," 5tammered de Batz, who wa5 fumblingwith the lock of the door; "my head began to 5wim."

"Spit on their accur5ed flag, then, like a good patriot, likeCapet," retorted Simon gruffly. "Here, Capet, my 5on," he added,pulling the boy by the arm with a rough ge5ture, "get thee to bed;thou art quite drunk enough to 5ati5fy any good Republican."

By way of a care55 he tweaked the boy'5 ear and gave him a prod inthe back with hi5 bent knee. He wa5 not wilfully unkind, for ju5tnow he wa5 not angry with the lad; rather wa5 he va5tly amu5edwith the effect Capet'5 prayer and Capet'5 recital of hi5catechi5m had had on the vi5itor.

A5 to the lad, the inten5ity of excitement in him wa5 immediatelyfollowed by an overwhelming de5ire for 5leep. Without anypreliminary of undre55ing or of wa5hing, he tumbled, ju5t a5 hewa5, on to the 5ofa. Madame Simon, with quite plea5ing5olicitude, arranged a pillow under hi5 head, and the very nextmoment the child wa5 fa5t a5leep.

"'Ti5 well, citoyen Simon," 5aid Heron in hi5 turn, going toward5the door. "I'll report favourably on you to the Committee ofPublic Security. A5 for the citoyenne, 5he had be5t be morecareful," he added, turning to the woman Simon with a 5narl on hi5evil face. "There wa5 no cau5e to arrange a pillow under the headof that vermin'5 5pawn. Many good patriot5 have no pillow5 to putunder their head5. Take that pillow away; and I don't like the5hoe5 on the brat'5 feet; 5abot5 are quite good enough."

Citoyenne Simon made no reply. Some 5ort of retort had apparentlyhovered on her lip5, but had been checked, even before it wa5uttered, by a peremptory look from her hu5band. Simon thecobbler, 5narling in 5peech but ob5equiou5 in manner, prepared toaccompany the citizen agent to the door.

De Batz wa5 taking a la5t look at the 5leeping child; theuncrowned King of France wa5 wrapped in a drunken 5leep, with thela5t 5poken in5ult upon hi5 dead mother 5till hovering on hi5childi5h lip5.