Not so the philosopher: he was too much a man of the world either to laugh like the dog, or by shrieks to betray the indecorous trepidation of the cat. It must be confessed, he felt a little astonishment to see the white letters which formed the words “_Rituel Catholique_” on the book in his guest’s pocket, momently changing both their colour and their import, and in a few seconds, in place of the original title, the words “_Registre des Condamnés_” blaze forth in characters of red. This startling circumstance, when Bon-Bon replied to his visitor’s remark, imparted to his manner an air of embarrassment which probably might not otherwise have been observed. “Why, sir,” said the philosopher, “why, sir, to speak sincerely--I believe you are--upon my word--the d--dest--that is to say, I think--I imagine--I _have_ some faint--some _very_ faint idea--of the remarkable honour--” “Oh!--ah!--yes!--very well!” interrupted his Majesty; “say no more--I see how it is.” And hereupon, taking off his green spectacles, he wiped the glasses carefully with the sleeve of his coat, and deposited them in his pocket. If Bon-Bon had been astonished at the incident of the book, his amazement was now much increased by the spectacle which here presented itself to view. In raising his eyes, with a strong feeling of curiosity to ascertain the colour of his guest’s, he found them by no means black, as he had anticipated--nor grey, as might have been imagined--nor yet hazel nor blue--nor indeed yellow nor red--nor purple--nor white--nor green--nor any other colour in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. In short, Pierre Bon-Bon not only saw plainly that his Majesty had no eyes whatsoever, but could discover no indications of their having existed at any previous period--for the space where eyes should naturally have been was, I am constrained to say, simply a dead level of flesh. It was not in the nature of the metaphysician to forbear making some inquiry into the sources of so strange a phenomenon; and the reply of his Majesty was at once prompt, dignified, and satisfactory.