404 Asmodeus and the Incognito. 



I was truly surprised in finding that apartment comfortable in all 

 respects ; and much more so when a clean and handsome girl, attired 

 in the Norman fashion, came in to prepare the table for our break- 

 fast. " Je ne farai point de cerimonies, Messieurs," said our host ; 

 " vous accepterez ce que j'ai dans la maison. Souhaitez vous un 

 morceau de pate da Strasbourg ou une volaille froide ? Prenez vous 

 du cafe ou du choccolat? Annette apporte du champagne et du cha- 

 blis et six douzaines d'huitres vertes." 



" Stop ! stop !" said Asmodeus to Duclos. "Do you mean to kill 

 my friend with your kind hospitality? He is not a gourmand ; his 

 bitterest enemies admit that. He is come to your house, not to feast 

 on your viands and wine, but to enjoy your society." " En verite,'' 

 subjoined I ; " acceptez, Monsieur, mes sinceres rerneresiments for 

 all you wish to treat me with ; mais je vous assure that since I have 

 been in your company I feel no other appetite but that of hearing 

 from your lips some particulars of your life, and the reason you may 

 have in choosing to appear in public so dreadfully distressed, while at 

 home you certainly enjoy every comfort." " Bien, bien," replied Du- 

 clos. "Afterbreakfast your curiosity shall be satisfied, buton condition 

 that at the first opportunity you will also recount to me some of your 

 adventures." " Point de doute que je lef erai,'\answered I, " if Asmo- 

 deus will deign to conduct me here again." The devil was swallow- 

 ing a glass of champaign while I spoke, and in endeavouring to say 

 yes, was almost choked. Having cheerfully breakfasted, we ended 

 our repast with an excellent cup of coffee, and then Shoudruk began 

 his narration in the following manner : 



** I am a native of the South of France, or to speak plainly, * un 

 vrai Guascon.' My father was a wealthy, respectable, and respected 

 clerk of the parliament, and from my very infancy placed me under 

 the care of a worthy and well-informed curate of Avignon, who was 

 my uncle ; from him 1 acquired much instruction, and learned 

 the duties which a Christian owes to his God and his king." Asmo- 

 deus startled at this period , but Shoudruk continued. "In 1793, 

 having scarcely accomplished my sixteenth year, I was unfortunately 

 deprived both of my parents and my instructor, for they were all 

 three brutally beheaded at Avignon by order of the bloody com- 

 mittee of public safety in consequence of their attachment to their 

 religion and their king. From that event I was left alone in this 

 world of deceit and selfishness without experience and without a 

 guide. I followed, however, my studies ; but rny mind was conti- 

 nually distracted by the appalling recollection of the past. In 1796 

 I inherited indirectly a large property. J'ai dit indirectment, parce- 

 que tout ce que mon pere et mon oncle possedaient, devint propriete 

 nationale du jour ou ils furent guillottines. Having increased my 

 financial resources I began to nourish a hope of avenging the blood 

 of my parents, and having placed myself at the head of the Verdets* 

 of my province I harassed and destroyed many republican sanscu- 

 lottes, who had come from Paris to perpetrate all sorts of depreda- 



* The Royalists of the south of France who formed themselves in bands against the 

 Republicans were dressed in green, and consequently were called Verdels, or Green 

 Men. 



