"This mad--this brave Mortimer is capable of waiting up all night for me," said Croustillac, with disquietude. "That is not to be doubted, your highness, by one who knows the ardent impatience with which he desires your return." "Hold, sir," said the Gascon, "between you and me, I know my Mortimer; he is very nervous, very impressionable. I should fear for him--a shock, a too sudden effect of joy, should I appear abruptly before him. Thus, in going aboard I shall take the precaution of well wrapping myself up in order to escape his eyes--and even if he asks you if I shall soon arrive, oblige me by answering him in an evasive manner. In this way we can prepare him for an interview, which without these precautions might prove fatal to this devoted friend." "Ah! fear nothing, your highness; excess of joy can never be fatal." "Indeed, you deceive yourself, sir; without taking account of a thousand general facts with which I might corroborate my opinion, I will cite on this subject a fact quite personal and particular to the very man of whom we are now talking." "To Lord Mortimer?" "To him, sir. I shall never forget that once I saw him seized with frightful convulsions under circumstances almost similar. There were nervous starts--swoons----" "However, your highness, Lord Mortimer has an athletic constitution." "An athletic constitution? Come, then, it only remained that I should encounter a Hercules in this run-mad Pylades," thought Croustillac. He spoke aloud: "You don't know, sir, that it is these very men of great strength who are just the ones who most keenly feel such shocks. I will even tell you--but this is entirely between ourselves--at least----" "Your highness may be sure of my discretion." "You will understand my reserve, sir. I will tell you then that, on the occasion of which I speak--this unfortunate Mortimer was so stupefied--(if it were not for our intimate friendship, I should say rendered stupid) by seeing too suddenly some one he had not met for a long time--that his head--you comprehend----" "What, your highness, his reason----" "Alas! yes, in this instance only--. You now comprehend why I demand secrecy of you?" "Yes, yes, your highness." "But that was not all; the shock suffered by poor Mortimer was such that, after having remained several moments stupefied with surprise, he no longer recognized this person; no, sir, he did not recognize him, though he had seen him a thousand times!" "Is it possible, your highness?" said De Chemerant, in a tone of respectful doubt. "It is, alas! only too true, sir, for you have no idea of the excitability of this good fellow. So I, who am his friend, should watch carefully that no trouble come to him. Think, then, if I should expose him to the risk of not knowing me. Mortimer is now the one whom I love most in the world, and you know, alas! sir, if the consolations of friendship are necessary to me." "Still these unhappy memories, your highness?"