Juan was frequently asked a number of questions by his customers; such as who he was, and whence he came, and how long he had been there; and his answer was, that he was born in America, and born a slave, and so was his little wife, but a good master made him free. "Bravo! and _Vive la liberté!_ and you are like us; we were slaves, now we are free," always shouted the deluded people to whom he thus talked. Juan used to go on to say that he had heard his master was in France, and poor, and so they left America and came to work for him (applauses again); but that he found he was dead. "And so," said he, "as I liked Paris, we resolved to stay here, and make nice things for the republicans in Europe." This tale had its effect; Juan was hailed as _bon citoyen_ Duval, and promised custom and protection. "Oh! dear Miss Helen," cried Juan, (as he usually called me) "what bloody dogs some of them look! No doubt some of them were members of parliament. _They_ govern a nation indeed, who were such fools as to be so easily taken in by my story! Psha! I should make a better parliament man myself." At length, we saw some of the distinguished men. Juan heard one of the party call two of the others Hébert and Danton; and he made an excuse to come in and tell me which was which. I looked at them, and was mortified to find that Danton was so pleasant-looking. When they went away, which they did not do till they had eaten largely, and commended what they ate, a wild, singularly-looking man entered the shop, in all the dirty and negligent attire of a _sans culotte_, and desired a plum pudding _à l'Américaine_ to be set before him; declaring that had it been _à l'Anglaise_ he could not have eaten it, as it would have tasted of the slavery of that wretched grovelling country England. When the pudding was served, he talked more than he ate, and made minute inquiries into the history of Alice and Juan; but when he heard who and what they were, he ran to them, and insisted on giving each the fraternal embrace--"for I," said he, "am Anacharsis Cloots! the orator of the human race; and dear to my heart is the injured being who was born in servitude. Blessed be the memory of the master who broke your chains!" He then resumed his questions, and, to my great alarm, desired to know if they lived alone in the house. Juan, off his guard, replied, "No; we have a lodger." "Indeed! let me see him." "Him! 'tis a woman." "Better and better still! Let me see her then. Is she young and handsome?" "Hélas! la pauvre femme! elle ne voit personne, elle est malade à la mort."[7] "Eh bien, que je la voye! Je la guérirai moi."[8] "Tu! citoyen? Oh non! elle ne se guérira jamais."[9] "Mais oui, te dis-je. Où est-elle? Je veux absolument faire sa connaissance."[10] "C'est impossible. Elle est au lit."[11] "Quest-ce que cela fait?"[12] "Comment, les femmes chez nous ne reçoivent jamais les visites quand elles sont au lit."[13]