like fools and beggars sneak off, upon the first failure of our money!  Have you no sentiments of honour?  Where is the dignity of France?” “And where is the money?” said Matta; “for my men say, the devil may take them, if there be ten crowns in the house, and I believe you have not much more, for it is above a week since I have seen you pull out your purse, or count your money, an amusement you were very fond of in prosperity.”  “I own all this,” said the Chevalier, “but yet I will force you to confess, that you are but a mean-spirited fellow upon this occasion.  What would have become of you if you had been reduced to the situation I was in at Lyons, four days before I arrived here?  I will tell you the story.”

CHAPTER THIRD.

     Education and adventures of the chevalier Grammont
     before his coming to the siege of Trino.

“This,” said Matta, “smells strongly of romance, except that it should have been your squire’s part to tell your adventures.”

“True,” said the Chevalier; “however, I may acquaint you with my first exploits without offending my modesty; besides, my squire’s style borders too much upon the burlesque for an heroic narrative.

“You must know, then, that upon my arrival at Lyons—­”

“Is it thus you begin?” said Matta.  “Pray give us your history a little further back.  The most minute particulars of a life like yours are worthy of relation; but above all, the manner in which you first paid your respects to Cardinal Richelieu:  I have often laughed at it.  However, you may pass over the unlucky pranks of your infancy, your genealogy, name and quality of your ancestors, for that is a subject with which you must be utterly unacquainted.”

“Pooh!” said the Chevalier; “you think that all the world is as ignorant as yourself; you think that I am a stranger to the Mendores and the Corisandes.  So, perhaps I don’t know that it was my father’s own fault that he was not the son of Henry IV.  The king would by all means have acknowledged him for his son, but the traitor would never consent to it.  See what the Grammonts would have been now, but for this cross-grained fellow!  They would have had precedence of the Caesars de Vendome.  You may laugh if you like, yet it is as true as the gospel:  but let us come to the point.

“I was sent to the college of Pau, with the intention of being brought up to the church; but as I had quite different views, I made no manner of improvement:  gaming was so much in my head, that both my tutor and the master lost their labour in endeavouring to teach me Latin.  Old Brinon, who served me both as valet-de-chambre and governor, in vain threatened to acquaint my mother.  I only studied when I pleased, that is to say, seldom or never:  however, they treated me as is customary with scholars of my quality; I was raised to all the