"Devil a bit; passed away like a lamb," said he. He looked on me a little, and I saw his hand go to his fob. "Here, take that! no sense in fretting," he said, and, putting a silver twopenny-bit in my hand, he left me. I should have had that twopenny framed to hang upon the wall, for it was the man's one act of charity in all my knowledge of him. Instead of that I stood looking at it in my hand and laughed out bitterly, as I realised his mistake; then went to the ramparts, and flung it far into the air like blood-money. The night was falling; through an embrasure and across the gardened valley I saw the lamp-lighters hasting along Princes Street with ladder and lamp, and looked on moodily. As I was so standing a hand was laid upon my shoulder, and I turned about. It was Major Chevenix, dressed for the evening, and his neckcloth really admirably folded. I never denied the man could dress. "Ah!" said he, "I thought it was you, Champdivers. So he's gone?" I nodded. "Come, come," said he, "you must cheer up. Of course it's very distressing, very painful and all that. But do you know, it ain't such a bad thing either for you or me? What with his death and your visit to him I am entirely reassured." So I was to owe my life to Goguelat at every point. "I had rather not discuss it," said I. "Well," said he, "one word more and I'll agree to bury the subject. What did you fight about?" "O, what do men ever fight about?" I cried. "A lady?" said he. I shrugged my shoulders. "Deuce you did!" said he. "I should scarce have thought it of him." And at this my ill-humour broke fairly out in words. "He!" I cried. "He never dared to address her--only to look at her and vomit his vile insults! She may have given him sixpence: if she did, it may take him to heaven yet!" At this I became aware of his eyes set upon me with a considering look, and brought up sharply. "Well, well," said he. "Good-night to you, Champdivers. Come to me at breakfast-time to-morrow, and we'll talk of other subjects." I fully admit the man's conduct was not bad: in writing it down so long after the events I can even see that it was good. CHAPTER IV ST. IVES GETS A BUNDLE OF BANK-NOTES I was surprised one morning, shortly after, to find myself the object of marked consideration by a civilian and a stranger. This was a man of the middle age; he had a face of a mulberry colour, round black eyes, comical tufted eyebrows, and a protuberant forehead, and was dressed in clothes of a Quakerish cut. In spite of his plainness, he had that inscrutable air of a man well-to-do in his affairs. I conceived he had been some while observing me from a distance, for a sparrow sat betwixt us quite unalarmed on the breech of a piece of cannon. So soon as our eyes met, he drew near and addressed me in the French language, which he spoke with a good fluency but an abominable accent. "I have the pleasure of addressing Monsieur le Vicomte Anne de Keroual de Saint-Yves?" said he.