"But, my child, what will be the good of Henri V. becoming King of France, since he has no children...." I added hesitatingly, "and they say that he cannot have any?" "Oh! that is not his fault, monsieur; it is his wife's." "It comes to the same thing, my dear Marie, since divorce is not permitted." "Oh yes! but something will happen that is now only known to God and myself." "What is it?" "His wife will die of consumption." "And whom will he marry? Some Russian or German princess, I suppose?" "No; he will say, 'I have returned by the will of the French people, so I will marry a daughter of the People.'" We laughed: divination was beginning to intermingle with prophecy. "And where will he find this daughter of the People, my child?" "He will say, 'Seek the young girl I saw at No. 42 in the faubourg Saint-Martin, where she had climbed up on a street-post ; she was clad in a white dress and was waving a green bough in her hand.'" "Well, will they go to the faubourg Saint-Martin?" "Certainly." "Will they find the young girl?" "Yes, at No. 42." "To what family does she belong?" "Her father is a joiner." "Do you know the name of this future queen?" "Léontine." "And the prince will marry this young girl?" "Yes." "He will have a son by her?" "He will have two." "What will the eldest be called--Henri or Charles?" "Neither. Henri V. will say that these two names have brought too much misfortune to those who have borne them: they will call the boy Léon." "How long will Henri V. reign?" "Between ten and eleven years." "How will he meet his death?" "He will die of pleurisy, contracted from drinking cold water from a fountain, one day, when he is out hunting in the forest of Saint-Germain." "But remember, my child, that you are making this prophecy before twelve to fifteen people: one of us here may warn the prince and then, if he is told that he will die if he drinks cold water, he will refrain from drinking it." "He will be warned, but he will drink it, all the same; for he will say he has eaten many an ice when he was hot, so he can surely drink cold water." "Who will warn him?" "Your son, who will be one of his intimate friends." "What! my son one of the intimate friends of the prince?" "Yes, you are well aware that your son's opinions differ from yours." My daughter and I exchanged glances and burst out laughing, for Alexandre and I are eternally squabbling over politics. "And when Henri V. is dead Léon I. will succeed to the throne?" "Yes, monsieur." "What will happen during his reign?" "I cannot see any further: wake me."