Asmodeus and the Incognito. 403 



" Bravo! bravo !" said Asmodeus, sarcastically. " What a philo- 

 sopher you are. But we will leave Louis Philippe to take care of 

 himself, if he can, and in the mean time we will go to breakfast chez 

 les freres proven^aux?' 



I nodded assent, because the extraordinary voyage I had just per- 

 formed had rendered me rather hungry. In passing through Rue 

 de Rivoli arid the passage Delorme a number of Philippist life-pre- 

 servers were to be easily recognised ; but as I was happily out of 

 their reach, I looked at them with contempt. As we entered the 

 Palais Royal by the Gallerie Vitree I perceived a very tall, athletic 

 man, with a long bushy beard, habited in rags, and wearing a hat in 

 tatters ; and, instead of boots or shoes, pieces of old cloth, fastened with 

 cords around his feet. ** Who is he ?" asked I. 



"He is the greatest living philosopher of France,'' replied Asmo- 

 deus; " he is a truly eccentric and extraordinary man. His name is 

 Shoudruk Duclos. If you like I will introduce you to him, and I am 

 sure you will find him worth your acquaintance/' 



I answered in the affirmative ; and Asmodeus having overtaken 

 Duclos and shaken hands with him, I was soon after formally intro- 

 duced to the man d la longue barbe, well known to all those who have 

 visited Paris. As we were going chez les freres provencaux we 

 crossed the garden of the Palais Royal at that hour generally 

 crowded with persons who assemble there either to read the periodi- 

 cals or to meet their friends. Those idlers, having observed Duclos 

 apparently speaking to somebody whom they could not perceive, be- 

 gan to laugh and stare at him, and some of them dared also to hiss ; 

 but as soon as I 9 horn me a la longue barbe turned his fierce countenance 

 towards them, their laughter, staring, and hissing ceased immediately. 

 " Will you join us at breakfast 1" said Asmodeus to Duclos, as we 

 approached the freres proven9aux. " Excusez, Messieur, je ne puis 

 pas," answered Duclos, " D'ailleurs si j'allais avec vous, on vousy re- 

 cevraitmal; je vous attendrai ici.'' " But," observed Asmodeus, " let 

 us go to breakfast together to your own house." " Avec plaisir," re- 

 plied Duclos, "je serais charme de vous y voir." 



This proposal pleased me very much, for I was anxiously wishing 

 to know what sort of abode could be inhabited by so distressed a 

 being. Without much ceremony, Vhomme a la longue barbe having 

 placed himself between Asmodeus and myself, we proceeded through 

 Rue Vivienne and along the Boulevards as far as Faubourg du Tem- 

 ple ; there we entered into a narrow street, and, about two or three 

 doors from Rue Mesley, we traversed a passage which led to an 

 almost deserted spot, where only one house, surrounded by a high 

 wall, was to be seen. Here Duclos drew a key from his pocket, and 

 having opened a small gate, admitted us into his garden, and said, 

 " Messieurs, attendez ici je serai a vous dansl' instant." During his 

 absence Asmodeus and myself walked around the garden, which was 

 well-stocked with shrubs, fruit-trees, flowers, and vegetables ; and 

 while we were again approaching to the habitation Vhomme a la 

 longue barbe presented himself to us, elegantly dressed, and with 

 that politeness which is so familiar to Frenchmen, engaged us to 

 enter into his front parlour. 



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