subject of remonstrance.  I assured them that I was no aristocrat, although I had purchased the property, and that, on the contrary, I was a citizen barber from Marseilles; that I had relinquished the title of marquis, which I had bought with the property, and had therefore no claim whatever to aristocracy.  But they insisted upon proofs, and ordering my valets to bring down the materials, desired me to shave a dozen of their party.  I shaved for my life, and acquitted myself so much to their satisfaction that they all embraced me, and were about to depart, when one of the women demanded that my wife (whose aristocratical descent was known) should be surrendered up, as a proof of my sincerity.  We all have our moments of weakness; had I had the prudence to comply with the request, things would have ended happily, but I was foolish enough, although I had been married twelve years, to demur at the prospect of the head of my charming Cerise being carried away on a pike.  I represented to them (as she clung to me for protection), that although of noble descent, she had reduced herself to my level by marrying a citizen barber.  After a short consultation, they agreed that she was sufficiently degraded to live.  They contented themselves with breaking open my cellar, that they might drink my health, and departed.  But, your highness, I had soon cause to repent of my folly.  Cerise was a charming woman, and an affectionate wife in adversity, but prosperity was her ruin, as well as mine.  She had already had an affair with a Comte, who had lately been dismissed for a handsome young abbe; but we do not mind these little egaremens in our country, and I neither had leisure nor inclination to interfere with her arrangements.  Satisfied with her sincere friendship for me, I could easily forgive a few trifling infidelities, and nothing had disturbed the serenity or gaiety of our establishment until this unfortunate expose which I was obliged to make, and to prove the truth of in her presence, viz., that I had been a barber.  Her pride revolted at the idea of having formed such a connection, her feelings towards me were changed to those of the most deadly hatred; and although I had saved her life, she ungratefully resolved to sacrifice mine.  The little abbe’s head had been taken off several weeks before, and she now formed a liaison with one of the jacobin associes, on condition that he would prove his attachment, by denouncing me as an aristocrat.

Fortunately, I had notice given to me in sufficient time to make my escape to Toulon.  Leaving my wife, and, what was of more consequence, the whole of my property, in the hands of the jacobin, I joined the mob, and vowing vengeance upon all aristocrats, became one of the most violent leaders of the sans culottes.  Two months afterwards, when the gates of Toulon had been opened to the army, and I was assisting at a noyade, I had the pleasure of seeing my jacobin locum tenens, who had been denounced