estates to recover; you are rich."

This delicate compassion brought tears to the old man's eyes. Derville
rose hastily, for it was perhaps not correct for a lawyer to show
emotion; he went into the adjoining room, and came back with an
unsealed letter, which he gave to the Colonel. When the poor man held
it in his hand, he felt through the paper two gold pieces.

"Will you be good enough to describe the documents, and tell me the
name of the town, and in what kingdom?" said the lawyer.

The Colonel dictated the information, and verified the spelling of the
names of places; then he took his hat in one hand, looked at Derville,
and held out the other--a horny hand, saying with much simplicity:

"On my honor, sir, after the Emperor, you are the man to whom I shall
owe most. You are a splendid fellow!"

The attorney clapped his hand into the Colonel's, saw him to the
stairs, and held a light for him.

"Boucard," said Derville to his head clerk, "I have just listened to a
tale that may cost me five and twenty louis. If I am robbed, I shall
not regret the money, for I shall have seen the most consummate actor
of the day."

When the Colonel was in the street and close to a lamp, he took the
two twenty-franc pieces out of the letter and looked at them for a
moment under the light. It was the first gold he had seen for nine
years.