"You have become a General in the service of the Republic, monsieur, and I a galley-slave! You must admit, this is piquant." The Count of Plouernel contemplated the merchant with astonishment. He had expected to see him either utterly dejected, or in a state of violent indignation. He found him calm, smiling and witty. "Well, monsieur," proceeded Lebrenn, keeping his seat while the General, standing before him, continued to contemplate the man with increasing wonderment. "Well, monsieur, it is almost eighteen months since that evening of February 23, which it has pleased you to recall to memory! Who would then have thought that we would have met again in the position in which we find ourselves to-day!" "Such fortitude!" exclaimed the Count of Plouernel. "This is heroism!" "Not at all, monsieur--it is simply a matter of a clean conscience, and of confidence." "Confidence!" "Yes. I am calm because I have faith in the cause to which I devoted my life--and because my conscience assails me with no reproaches." "And yet--you are in this place, monsieur." "I pity the error of my judges." "You--the incarnation of honor, in the livery of infamy!" "Bah! That does not affect me." "Far from your wife, from your children!" "They are as often here with me as I am with them. The body is chained and separated, but the spirit laughs at chains and space." And interrupting himself, Lebrenn added: "But, monsieur, kindly inform me by what accident I see you here. The Commissioner of the prison sent for me. Was it only to afford me the honor of receiving your visit?" "You would misjudge me, monsieur," answered the General, "were you to believe that, after owing my life to you, I could come here with no other motive than that of idle and offensive curiosity." "I shall not do you such an injustice, monsieur. You are, I presume, on a tour of inspection?" "Yes, monsieur." "I presume you learned I was here in prison, and you came, perhaps, to offer me your good offices?" "Better yet, monsieur." "Better yet? Pray, what do you mean? You seem to feel embarrassed." "Indeed--I am; very much so--" replied the General, visibly put out of countenance by the calmness and easy manners of the galley-slave. "Revolutions often bring about bizarre situations." "Bizarre situations?" "Yes," replied the General; "the situation in which we two find ourselves at this moment, for instance." "Oh, we already have exhausted the obvious bizarreness of fate, monsieur!" remarked the merchant smiling. "That, under the Republic, I, an old republican, should be found on the galley-bench, while you, a republican of recent date, should have been promoted to the rank of General--that is, no doubt, bizarre, we are agreed upon that. What else?" "My embarrassment proceeds from another reason, monsieur." "Which?" "It happens--that--" answered the General, hesitatingly. "It happens that?" "I applied--" "You applied--for what, monsieur?" "And obtained--"