quit Paris with your young daughter. This is no place for rich
Imperialists at present."

"I perceived that before to-day's adventure. I distrust the looks of my
very servants, and shall depart with Valerie this evening for Bretagne."

"Ah! I heard from Louvier that you propose to pay off his mortgage on
Rochebriant, and make yourself sole proprietor of my young kinsman's
property."

"I trust you only believe half what you hear. I mean to save Rochebriant
from Louvier, and consign it, free of charge, to your kinsman, as the dot
of his bride, my daughter."

"I rejoice to learn such good news for the head of my house. But Alain
himself--is he not with the prisoners of war?"

"No, thank heaven. He went forth an officer of a regiment of Parisian
Mobiles--went full of sanguine confidence; he came back with his regiment
in mournful despondency. The undiscipline of his regiment, of the
Parisian Mobiles generally, appears incredible. Their insolent
disobedience to their officers, their ribald scoffs at their general
--oh, it is sickening to speak of it! Alain distinguished himself by
repressing a mutiny and is honoured by a signal compliment from the
commander in a letter of recommendation to Palikao. But Palikao is
nobody now. Alain has already been sent into Bretagne, commissioned to
assist in organising a corps of Mobiles in his neighbourhood. Trochu, as
you know, is a Breton. Alain is confident of the good conduct of the
Bretons. What will Louvier do? He is an arch Republican; is he pleased
now he has got what he wanted?"