'My faith!' exclaimed Madame Deschwanden, not at all taken aback, 'the cases are totally different; but that is what you Alpine bears can never perceive. In the case of his majesty, it is the ladies who insist, and he is too gallant to refuse our wishes. Whoever heard--unless he were a German--of a man dragging a woman after him into a wilderness against her will? Hah! Nicholas, my boy, what brings you here?' 'I have come in search of you and Gabrielle,--Madeleine, I mean?' 'Where is Gabrielle?' asked his sister, looking up. 'She is in safe keeping,' answered the lad; 'and, if you and my mother wish for shelter, you can have it in the same house.' 'That entirely depends,' said madame; 'we are exceedingly comfortable here.' 'But the house is that of a curé, and when I told him that you and Madeleine were out, he insisted on my inviting you to partake of his hospitality.' 'A curé, did you say, Nicholas?' 'Yes, mother.' 'Mon Dieu! To think of my leaving the society of soldiers for that of priests! I am much obliged to him, but scarlet coats are a more cheerful sight than black cassocks. Do you think I am going to put my head into the lion's mouth? I have plenty of naughty little things on my conscience, but I don't want to precipitate myself into a confessional to-night. Thank you, Nicholas; I prefer to remain here, where I can have a good laugh, I am too wet and cold to endure the cold water and freezing to which a curé would subject me. In Lent, yes--not now.' Madame's determination was received by the soldiers with satisfaction. 'You are all priest-bitten,' said madame; 'that is the mischief of you Swiss. There was once a spider called the Tarantula, and there was at the same time another spider called Curatus, and these two went forth a scamper one day, and the former entered France and bit the people here, and set them all dancing; and the other spider crawled over the Alps, and spun his web in Switzerland, and nibbled at the good folk there, and made them all conscientious. Mon Dieu! what it is to be conscientious!' The soldiers laughed heartily. 'Madeleine,' said Nicholas, 'will you come to Gabrielle?' 'No,' said the girl, 'I shall remain with my mother; at any rate, at present. What street are you in?' 'We are immediately opposite the opening into the Rue des Recollets, in the Rue du Vieux Versailles, with M. le Curé Lindet lodging in the house of the widow Maupied.' 'I shall see you to-morrow, Nicholas,' said the corporal. 'I will take good care of these two madcaps. You know that to-morrow my time of service is out. I shall be on duty early in the morning at the grand staircase, and that is the last office I shall perform for his gracious majesty. Then, huzza! we shall be off to the brave Switzerland, to the mountains and lakes! to the land of Werner Stauffacher, Erni of Melchthal, and Walter Fürst.' 'Never!' cried madame. 'We shall see,' said the corporal.