Fidele；　a　title　which　will　remain　for　centuries。〃
  〃Yes；　you　are　right；〃　said　Dr。　Naudin；　laying　his　hand　on　the
  shoulder　of　Dr。　Saunier。　〃He　is　the　noblest；　most　loyal；　and　bravest
  of　us　all。　On　that　account；　when　he　came　to　me　a　few　days　ago　and
  showed　me　the　golden　salt*　bottle　of　the　queen　in　confirmation　of
  his　statement　that　he　was　Toulan；　I　was　ready　to　do　every　thing　that
  he　might　desire　of　me　and　to　enter　into　all　his　plans；　for　Toulan's
  magnanimity　and　fidelity　are　contagious；　and　excite　every　one　to
  emulate　him。〃
  〃I　beg　you；　gentlemen；〃　said　Toulan　softly；　〃do　not　praise　me　nor
  think　that　to　be　heroism　which　is　merely　natural。　I　have　devoted　to
  Queen　Marie　Antoinette　my　life；　my　thought；　my　heart。　I　swore　upon
  her　hand　that　so　long　as　I　lived　I　would　be　true　to　her　and　her
  family；　and　to　keep　my　vow　is　simple　enough。　Queen　Marie　Antoinette
  is　no　more。　I　was　not　able　to　save　her；　but　perhaps　she　looks　down
  from　the　heavenly　heights　upon　us；　and　is　satisfied　with　us；　if　she
  sees　that　we　are　now　trying　to　do　for　her　son　what；　unfortunately；
  we　were　not　able　to　accomplish　for　her。　This　is　my　hope；　and　this
  spurs　rue　on　to　attempt　every　thing；　in　order　to　bring　about　the
  last　wish　of　my　queenthe　freeing　of　her　son。　God　in　His　grace　has
  willed　that　I　should　not　be　alone　in　this　effort；　and　that　I　should
  have　the　cooperation　of　noble　men。　He　visibly　blesses　our　plans；　for
  is　it　not　a　manifest　sign　of　His　blessing　that；　exactly　in　those
  days　when　we　are　trying　to　find　a　means　of　approaching　the　unhappy；
  imprisoned　son　of　the　queen；　accident　affords　us　this　means？　Exactly
  at　the　hour　when　I　went　to　Dr。　Naudin　and　disclosed　myself　to　him；
  the　porter　of　the　Temple　came　and　desired　in　behalf　of　Simon's　wife
  that　Dr。　Naudin　should　go　to　the　Temple。〃
  〃Yes；　indeed；　it　was　a　wonderful　occurrence；〃　said　Naudin；
  thoughtfully。　〃I　am　not　over…blessed　with　sensibility；　but　when　I
  saw　the　son　of　the　queen　in　his　sorrow　and　humiliation；　I　sank　on　my
  knee　before　the　poor　little　king；　and　in　my　heart　I　swore　that
  Toulan　should　find　in　me　a　faithful　coadjutor　in　his　plan；　and　that
  I　would　do　every　thing　to　set　him　free。〃
  〃And　so　have　I　too　sworn；〃　cried　Jarjayes；　with　enthusiasm。　〃The
  queen　is　dead；　but　our　fidelity　to　her　lives　and　shall　renew　itself
  to　her　son；　King　Louis　XVII。　I　know　well　that　the　police　are
  watching　me；　that　they　know　who　is　secreting　himself　here　under　the
  name　of　Citizen　Orage；　that　they　follow　every　one　of　my　steps　and
  perhaps　suffer　me　to　be　free　only　for　the　purpose　of　seeing　with
  whom　I　have　relations；　in　order　to　arrest　and　destroy　me　at　one　fell
  swoop；　with　all　my　friends　at　the　same　time。　But　we　must　use　the
  time。　I　have　come　here　with　the　firm　determination　of　delivering　the
  unhappy　young　king　from　the　hands　of　his　tormentors；　and　I　will　now
  confess　every　thing　to　you；　my　friends。　I　have　gained　for　our
  undertaking　the　assistance　and　protection　of　a　rich　and　noble
  patron；　a　true　servant　of　the　deceased　king。　The　Prince　de　Conde；
  with　whom　I　have　lived　in　Vendee　for　the　past　few　months；　has
  furnished　me　with　ample　means；　and　is　prepared　to　support　us　to　any
  extent　in　our　undertaking。　If　we　succeed　in　saving　the　young　king；
  the　latter　will　find　in　Vendee　a　safe　asylum　with　the　prince；　and
  will　live　there　securely；　surrounded　by　his　faithful　subjects。　The
  immense　difficulty；　or；　as　I　should　have　said　a　few　days　ago；　the
  impossibility；　is　the　release　of　the　young　prince　from　the　Temple。
  But　now　that　I　have　succeeded　in　discovering　Toulan　and　uniting
  myself　with　him；　I　no　longer　say　it　is　impossible；　but　only　it　is
  difficult。〃
  〃And；〃　cried　Toulan；　〃since　I　am　sure　of　the　assistance　of　the　noble
  Doctor　Naudin；　I　say；　we　will　free　him；　the　son　of　our　Queen　Marie
  Antoinette；　the　young　King　Louis　XVII。　The　plan　is　entirely　ready　in
  my　head；　and　in　order　to　make　its　execution　possible；　I　went　a　few
  days　ago　to　see　Doctor　Naudin　at　the　Hotel　Dieu；　in　order　to　beg　him
  to　visit　the　sick　boy　that　the　marquis　has　here；　and　just　at　that
  moment　Simon's　messenger　came　to　the　Temple。　Doctor　Naudin　is　now
  here；　and　first　of　all　it　is　necessary　that　he　give　us　his　last；
  decisive　judgment　on　the　patient。　So　take　us　to　him；　marquis；　for
  upon　Naudin's　decision　depends　the　fate　of　the　young　King　of
  France。〃
  The　marquis　nodded　silently；　and　conducted　the　gentlemen　into　the
  next　room。　There；　carefully　propped　up　by　mattresses　and　pillows；
  lay　a　child　of　perhaps　ten　yearsa　poor；　unfortunate　boy；　with
  pale；　sunken　cheeks；　fixed　blue　eyes；　short　fair　hair；　and　a　stupid；
  idiotic　expression　on　his　features。　As　the　three　gentlemen　came　to
  him　he　fixed　his　eyes　upon　them　in　a　cold；　indifferent　way；　and　not
  a　quiver　in　his　face　disclosed　any　interest　in　them。　Motionless　and
  pale　as　death　the　boy　lay　upon　his　bed；　and　only　the　breath　that
  came　hot　and　in　gasps　from　his　breast　disclosed　that　there　was　still
  life　in　this　poor　shattered　frame。
  Doctor　Naudin　stooped　down　to　the　boy　and　looked　at　him　a　long　time
  with　the　utmost　attention。
  〃This　boy　is　perfectly　deaf！〃　he　then　said；　raising　himself　up　and
  looking　at　the　marquis　inquiringly。
  〃Yes；　doctor；　your　sharp　eye　has　correctly　discerned　it；　he　is
  perfectly　deaf。〃
  〃Is　it　your　son？〃
  〃No；　doctor；　he　is　the　son　of　my　sister；　the　Baroness　of　Tardif；　who
  was　guillotined　together　with　her　husband。　I　undertook　the　care　of
  this　unfortunate　child；　and　at　my　removal　from　Paris　gave　him　to
  some　faithful　servants　of　my　family　to　be　cared　for。　On　my　return　I
  learned　that　the　good　people　had　both　been　guillotined；　and　find　the
  poor　boy；　who　before　had　been　at　least　sound　in　body；　utterly
  neglected；　and　living　on　the　sympathy　of　the　people　who　had　taken
  him　on　the　death　of　his　foster…parents。　I　brought　the　child　at　once
  to　this　house；　which　I　had　hired　for　myself　under　the　name　of
  Citizen　Orage；　and　Toulan　undertook　to　procure　the　help　of　a
  physician。　It　has　now　come　in　the　person　of　the　celebrated　Doctor
  Naudin；　and　I　beg　you　to　have　pity　on　the　poor　unfortunate　child；
  and　to　receive　him　into　the　Hotel　Dieu。〃
  〃Let　me　first　examine　the　child；　in　order　to　tell　you　what　is　the
  nature　of　his　disorder。〃
  And　Doctor　Naudin　stooped　down　again　to　the　boy；　examined　his　eyes；
  his　chest；　his　whole　form；　listened　to　his　breathing；　the　action　of
  his　heart；　and　felt　his　pulse。　The　patient　was　entirely　apathetic
  during　all　this；　now　and　then　merely　whining　and　groaning；　when　a
  movement　of　the　doctor's　hand　caused　him　pain。
  After　the　careful　investigation　had　been　ended；　the　doctor　called
  the　two　gentlemen　who　had　withdrawn　to　the　window　to　the　bed　again。
  〃Marquis；〃　said　he；　〃this　unfortunate　child　will　never　recover；　and
  the　least　painful　thing　that　could　happen　to　him　would　be　a　speedy
  release　from　his　miserable　lot。　Yet　I　do　not　believe　that　this　will
  occur；　but　consider　it　possible　that　the　boy　will　protract　his
  unfortunate　life　a　full　year　after　his　mind　has　entirely　passed
  away；　and　nothing　is　left　of　him　but　his　body。　The　boy；　if　you　can
  regard　such　a　poor　creature　as　a　human　being；　is　suffering　from　an
  incurable　form　of　scrofula；　which　will　by　and　by　consume　his　limbs；
  and　convert　him　into　an　idiot；　he　is　now　deaf；　he　will　be　a　mere
  stupid　beast。　If　it　were　permitted　to　substitute　the　hand　of　science
  in　place　of　the　hand　of　God；　I　should　say　we　ought　to　kill　this　poor
  creature　that　is　no　man　and　no　beast；　and　has　nothing　more　to　expect
  of　life　than　pain　and　torture；　having　no　more　consciousness　of　any
  thing　than　the　dog　has　when　he　does　not　get　a　bone　with　which　to
  quiet　his　hunger。〃
  〃Poor；　unhappy　creature！〃　sighed　the　marquis。　〃Now；　I　thank　God　that
  He　released　my　sister　from　the　pain　of　seeing　her　dear　child　in　this
  condition。
  〃Doctor　Naudin；〃　said　Toulan；　solemnly；　〃is　it　your　fixed　conviction
  that　this　sick　person　will　never　recover？〃
  〃My　firm　and　undoubted　conviction；　which　every　physician　who　should
  see　him　would　share　with　me。〃
  〃Are　you　of　the　opinion　that　this　child　has　nothing　in　life　to　lose；
  and　that　death　would　be　a　gain　to　it？〃
  〃Yes；　that　is　my　belief。　Death　would　be　a　release　for　the　poor
  creature；　for　life　is　only　a　burden　to　it　as　well　as　to　others。〃
  〃Then；〃　cried　Toulan；　solemnly；　〃I　will　give　this　poor　sick　child　a
  higher　and　a　fairer　mission。　I　will　make　its　life　an　advantage　to
  others；　and　its　death　a　hallowed　sacrifice。　Marquis　of　Jarjayes；　in
  the　name　of　King　Louis　XVI。；　in　the　name　of　the　exalted　martyr　to
  whom　we　have　all　sworn　fidelity　unto　death；　Queen　Marie　Antoinette；
  I　demand　and　desire　of　you　that　you　would　intrust　to　me　this　unhappy
  creature；　and　give　his　life　into　my　hands。　In　the　name　of　Marie
  Antoinette；　I　demand　of　the　Marquis　of　Jarjayes　that　he　deliver　to
  me　the　son　of　his　sister；　that　he　do　what　every　one　of　us　is
  joyfully　prepared　to　do　if　our　holy　cause　demands　it；　that　this　boy
  may　give　his　life　for　his　king；　the　imprisoned　Louis　XVII。〃
  While　Toulan　was　speaking　with　his　earnest；　solemn　voice；　Jarjayes
  knelt　before　the　bed　of　the　poor　sobbing　child；　and；　hiding　his　face
  in　his　hands；　he　prayed　softly。
  Then；　after　a　long　pause；　he　rose　and　laid　his　hand　on　the　feverish
  brow　of　the　boy。　〃You　have　address