It was the duty of the authorities, if they meddled with the boy at all,
to have educated him well. Nothing could excuse their not taking him
from prison, tending his weak health, and having him kindly cheered and
well taught. Instead of this, they committed him to the charge of the
man called Simon (mentioned before), a shoemaker, whose business it was
to tend and bring up the boy. Simon was a coarse and ignorant man, full
of hatred of rank and royalty. He would not let Louis wear mourning for
his father, and took away his black clothes. He taught him to sing the
rough songs of the day, mocking royalty and praising revolution. Louis
never till now drank wine, and had always disliked it. This man made
him drink a great deal of wine, and eat to excess, so as to bring on his
fever again. This might be meant for kindness; but it shows how unfit a
guardian Simon was. Louis recovered less favourably from the second
fever than the first. He still walked on the leads; but, instead of
growing taller, he was stunted in his growth, and became fat and
bloated, and thoroughly unhealthy.
On the 8th of October, just after he had got up, his room-door opened,
and his sister ran in. She threw her arms round his neck; but almost
before he could express his surprise, she was fetched away. She had
been sent for by some people below, who were waiting to question her;
and knowing which was Louis's room, she had run downstairs to it; thus
making use of the only opportunity she was likely to have of seeing her
brother.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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