〃To　one　of　the　palaces　of　the　Prince　de　Conde　in　loyal　and　beautiful
  Vendee。　Ah；　it　was　very　delightful　there；　and　there　were　very
  pleasant　people　about　me。　The　story　was　that　I　was　a　nephew　of　the
  prince；　and　that　on　account　of　impaired　health；　I　was　obliged　to　go
  into　the　country　and　must　be　tended　with　great　care。　I　had　a
  preceptor　there　who　gave　me　instruction；　and　sometimes　the　brave
  General　Charette　came　to　the　palace　on　a　visit。　He　was　always　very
  polite　to　me；　and　showed　me　all　kinds　of　attention。　One　day　he　asked
  me　to　walk　with　him　in　the　park。　I　did　so；　of　course；　and　just　as　we
  entered　a　dark　allee　he　fell　upon　his　knees；　called　me　majesty；　said
  he　knew　very　well　that　I　was　the　King　of　France；　and　that　the　noble
  and　loyal　Prince　de　Conde　had　rescued　me　from　prison。〃
  〃The　devil！〃　muttered　the　prince　to　himself；　〃our　dear　friends　are
  always　our　worst　enemies。〃
  The　boy　paid　no　attention　to　the　words　of　Conde；　and　went　on：　〃The
  general　conjured　me　to　confess　to　him　that　I　was　the　son　of　King
  Louis；　and　I　should　follow　him；　remain　with　his　little　army；　which
  would　acknowledge　me　at　once；　and　proclaim　me　King　of　France。〃
  〃And　what　did　you　answer？〃　asked　Conde；　eagerly。
  〃My　lord；〃　replied　the　boy；　with　proud；　grave　mien；　〃I　told　you
  that；　I　gave　my　word　to　M。　de　Jarjayes　to　divulge　nothing　till　you
  should　tell　me　that　the　right　time　had　arrived。　I　could　therefore
  confess　nothing　to　Charette；　and　told　him　that　he　had　fallen　into　a
  great　error；　and　that　I　have　and　can　lay　claim　to　no　other　honor
  than　of　being　the　nephew　of　the　Prince　de　Conde。〃
  〃You　said　that？〃　asked　Conde；　in　amazement。
  The　boy　raised　his　head　with　a　quick　movement；　and　something　of　the
  proud　and　fiery　nature　of　Louis　XIV。　flashed　in　his　eyes。
  〃I　did　not　know　then；〃　he　replied；　〃that　my　relationship　to　the
  Prince　de　Conde　was　not　agreeable　to　him。〃
  The　prince　looked　troubled　and　perplexed；　and　dropped　his　eyes
  before　the　piercing　gaze　of　the　boy。　〃Go　on；　if　I　may　venture　to　ask
  you；〃　he　said；　softly。　〃What　did　General　Charette　do　when　you
  repelled　him？〃
  〃First　he　implored；　and　wept；　and　conjured　me　to　trust　him；　and　to
  lay　aside　my　incognito　before　him；　the　truest　and　best　of　royalists。
  But　as　I　continued　steadfast；　and　disclosed　nothing；　he　became　angry
  at　length；　pushed　me　away　from　him；　threatened　me　with　his　fist；
  swore　he　would　have　his　revenge　on　those　who　had　deceived　him；　and
  declared　that　I　was　no　Bourbon；　for　the　son　of　my　fathers　would　not
  be　so　weak　and　cowardly　as　to　conceal　his　name　and　lineage。〃
  〃And　you　kept　silent；　in　spite　of　this　demand？〃
  〃Yes；　my　lord；　I　kept　silent；　and；　notwithstanding　his　pain　and
  grief；　I　left　him　in　the　belief　that　he　had　deceived　himself；　or
  rather；　that　he　had　been　deceived。〃
  〃Oh！〃　cried　Conde；　〃it　is　plain　that　you　have　been　steeled　in　the
  school　of　suffering；　and　that　the　years　of　misfortune　like　yours
  must　each　be　reckoned　double；　for；　in　spite　of　your　twelve　years；
  you　have　acted　like　a　man！〃
  〃My　lord；〃　replied　the　boy；　proudly；　〃the　Bourbons　attain　their
  majority　at　fifteen；　and　at　that　age　they　may；　according　to　the　law
  of　France；　become　independent　sovereigns。　They　ought；　therefore；　to
  begin　to　learn　young。　That　was　the　opinion　of　Queen　Marie
  Antoinette；　who　taught　me　to　read　in　my　fifth　year。　You；　my　lord；
  have；　in　your　magnanimity；　done　every　thing　to　make　me　able　to
  conform　to　the　laws　of　my　house；　if　it　shall　please　God　that　the　son
  of　my　dear　unfortunate　father　should　one　day　ascend　the　vacant
  throne　of　the　Bourbons。　Daring　these　two　years　which　I　have　spent　in
  concealment　in　your　palace　in　Vendee；　you　have　laid　a　strong　and
  firm　foundation；　on　which　the　superstructure　of　my　life　may　rest。　I
  have；　thanks　to　the　excellent　teachers　you　have　given　me；　had　an
  opportunity　to　learn　much；　and　to　recall　much　which　I　had　forgotten
  during　the　years　before　my　release　from　imprisonment。〃
  〃Your　teachers　inform　me　that　your　industry　was　unceasing；　and　that
  you　learned　more　in　months　than　some　do　in　years。　You　are　familiar
  with　several　languages；　and；　besides；　have　been　instructed；　as　I
  desired；　in　the　art　of　war　and　in　mathematics。〃
  〃In　the　studies　of　kings　and　soldiers；〃　replied　the　boy；　with　a
  proud　smile。
  〃I　fear　that　you　will　prove　not　to　have　prosecuted　those　studies
  with　a　view　to　their　use　among　soldiers；〃　said　Conde；　with　a　sigh。
  〃Your　prospects　are　very　darkyes；　darker　even　than　when　you　left
  the　Temple。　These　two　years　have　made　your　condition　more　perilous。
  It　was　fortunate　that　you　could　spend　them　in　solitude　and　secrecy；
  and　be　able　to　finish　your　education；　and　it　would　be　a　great
  blessing　to　you　to　be　able　to　go　on　with　your　quiet　studies　for　some
  years　longer。　But　your　enemies　had　sought　you　without　rest；　they
  were　on　your　track；　and　had　I　left　you　there　any　longer；　you　would
  have　been　found　some　day　stabbed　or　shot　in　the　park。　The　steward
  informed　me　that　all　kinds　of　suspicious　people　had　gathered　in　the
  neighborhood　of　the　palace　and　the　garden；　and　I　conjecture　that
  they　were　the　emissaries　of　your　enemies。　On　this　I　took　you　away
  from　that　place；　and　have　brought　you　here　for　your　greater　safety。
  Now　allow　me　one　question。　Do　you　know　who　your　enemies　are？〃
  〃I　think　I　know　them；〃　replied　Louis　Charles；　with　a　sad　smile。　〃My
  enemies　are　the　self…same　men　who　brought　my　father　and　my　mother　to
  the　scaffold；　destroyed　the　throne；　and　in　its　place　gave　Prance　a
  red　cap。　My　enemies　are　the　republicans；　who　now　rule　in　this　land；
  and　whose　great　object　must；　of　course；　be　to　put　me　out　of　the　way；
  for　my　life　is　their　death！　France　will　one　day　be　tired　of　the　red
  cap；　and　will　restore　the　throne　to　him　to　whom　it　belongs；　so　soon
  as　it　is　certain　that　he　who　is　entitled　to　the　crown；　is　living　to
  wear　it。〃
  〃And　who　do　you　suppose　is　justified　in　wearing　the　crown　of
  France？〃
  〃You　ask　as　if　you　did　not　know　that　I　am　the　only　son　and　heir　of
  the　murdered　King　of　France。〃
  〃The　only　son；　but　not　the　only　heir。　Your　inheritance　will　be
  contested；　and　even　if　France　should　transform　herself　from　a
  republic　to　a　monarchy；　every　attempt　possible　will　be　made　to　drive
  you；　the　son　of　Louis　XVI。；　from　the　throne；　and　put　the　crown　on
  the　head　of　another。〃
  〃Sir；　if　monarchy　is　uppermost　again；　the　crown　belongs　to　me。　Who；
  in　that　case；　would　venture　to　contend　with　me　for　it？〃
  〃Your　enemies！　Not　those　whom　you　have　just　named；　but　the　other
  half　of　your　enemies；　of　whose　existence　you　have　no　suspicion；　it
  seems…your　enemies；　the　royalists。〃
  〃How　so？〃　cried　Louis　Charles；　in　amazement。　〃Do　you　call　the
  royalists　my　enemies？〃
  〃Yes；　and　they　are　so；　your　powerful；　defiant；　and　untiring　enemies。
  Do　you　not　see　that　even　here　in　this　room　I　do　not　dare　to　give　you
  the　title　that　is　your　due；　for　fear　that　the　walls　may　have　ears
  and　increase　the　danger　which　threatens　you？　I　will　now　name　to　you
  the　greatest　of　your　enemiesthe　Count　de　Provence。〃
  〃How！　my　uncle；　the　brother　of　my　father；　he　my　enemy？〃
  〃He　is　your　enemy；　as　he　was　the　enemy　of　your　mother。　Believe　me；
  young　man；　it　is　not　the　people　who　have　made　the　revolution　in
  France；　it　is　the　princes　who　have　done　it。　The　Count　de　Provence；
  the　Count　d'Artois；　and　the　Duke　d'Orleansthey　are　the　chief
  revolutionists；　they　it　is　who　have　put　fire　to　the　throne；　they　it
  is　who　have　sown　the　libels　and　lampoons　broadcast　over　France；　and
  made　the　name　of　Marie　Antoinette　odious。　They　did　it　out　of　hate；
  out　of　revenge；　and　out　of　ambition。　Queen　Marie　Antoinette　had　won
  her　husband　over　to　the　policy　of　Austria；　and　in　this　way　had　set
  herself　in　opposition　to　the　Count　de　Provence；　and　the　whole　royal
  family。　The　count　never　forgave　her　for　this；　and　he　will　never
  forgive　you　for　being　the　son　of　your　mother。　The　Count　de　Provence；
  as　he　now　styles　himself；　is　your　sworn　enemy；　and　will　do　all　he
  can　to　bring　you　to　ruin；　he　is　ambitious；　and　his　goal　is；　to　be
  the　King　of　France！〃
  〃King　of　France？　The　Count　de　Provence；　the　brother　of　the　king；
  wants　to　be　his　successor；　when　I；　the　son　of　the　king；　am　alive　and
  demand　my　inheritance　？〃
  〃Your　demand　will　not　be　acknowledged：　they　will　declare　that　you
  are　an　impostor　and　a　deceiver。　Ah；　the　Count　de　Provence　is　a
  selfish　and　a　hard　character。　He　means　to　make　his　own　way；　and　if
  you　put　hinderances　in　it；　he　will　put　you　out　of　his　path；　without
  compassion　and　without　remorse；　trust　me　for　knowing　this；　who　for
  three　years　have　been　in　the　immediate　neighborhood　of　the　prince。　I
  was　afraid　to　impart　the　plan　of　your　escape　to　the　princes；　and；
  after　you　were　released；　I　was　silent；　for　a　secret　is　only　safe
  when　a　very　few　are　conscious　of　it。　But　after　the　news　came　last
  year　from　Paris；　that　the　boy　who　had　been　placed　as　your　substitute
  in　the　Temple　had　died；　after　a　long　sickness；　I　ventured　to　inform
  the　Count　de　Lille　about　the　real　facts。　I　told　him　that　I　believed
  that　information　I　had　received　might　be　relied　upon；　that　King
  Louis　XVII。　had　been　released　from　the　Temple　by　true　and　devoted
  servants；　and　was　then　in　a　place　of　safety。　Would　you　like　to　know
  what　reply　the　count　made？〃
  〃I　pray　you；　tell　m