"And rash--" interposed De Launay.

"No. Pardon me, my friend! Not rash. Merely honest. That is all! He is
a very honest young man indeed. It is unfortunate that he is so; a
ploughman may be honest if he likes, but a prince--never!"

De Launay was silent.

"I will now destroy a world"--continued Von Glauben, "Kings, emperors,
popes, councillors and common folk, can all perish incontinently,--as--
being myself for the present the free agent of the Deity concerned in
the matter,--I have something else to do than to look after them,"--and
he took up the glass vessel containing the animalculae he had been
watching, and cast it with its contents into a small stove burning
dimly at one end of the apartment,--"Gone are their ambitions and
confabulations for ever! How easy for the Creator to do the same thing
with us, Roger! Let us not talk of any special danger for the King or
for any man, seeing that we are all on the edge of an eternal volcano!"

De Launay stood absorbed for a moment, as if in deep thought. Then
rousing himself abruptly he said:--

"You will not see the King, and speak with him before to-morrow night?"

"Why should I?" queried the Professor. "His wish is a command which I
must obey. Besides, my good Roger, all the arguments in the world will
not turn a man from having his own way if he has once made up his own
mind. Advice from me on the present matter would be merely taken as an
impertinence. Moreover I have no advice to give,--I rather approve of