mean? and what are all these lights for?"

"Ah! Parry," replied the young man ironically, "don't you know that this
is the King of France visiting his good city of Blois? All these trumpets
are his, all those gilded housings are his, all those gentlemen wear
swords that are his. His mother precedes him in a carriage magnificently
encrusted with silver and gold. Happy mother! His minister heaps up
millions, and conducts him to a rich bride. Then all these people
rejoice; they love their king, they hail him with their acclamations, and
they cry, '_Vive le Roi! Vive le Roi!_'"

"Well, well, my lord," said Parry, more uneasy at the turn the
conversation had taken than at the other.

"You know," resumed the unknown, "that _my_ mother and _my_ sister,
whilst all this is going on in honor of the King of France, have neither
money nor bread; you know that I myself shall be poor and degraded within
a fortnight, when all Europe will become acquainted with what you have
told me. Parry, are there not examples in which a man of my condition
should himself - "

"My lord, in the name of Heaven - "

"You are right, Parry; I am a coward, and if I do nothing for myself,
what will God do? No, no; I have two arms, Parry, and I have a sword."
And he struck his arm violently with his hand, and took down his sword,
which hung against the wall.

"What are you going to do, my lord?"