”Itisratheranoddstory”sayshe，”and，withyourleave，I”llanswerthesecondquestionfirst。Itwasfromacertainresemblanceyoubeartoyourcousin，M。leVicomte。””Itrust，sir，thatIresemblehimadvantageously？”saidI。”Ihastentoreassureyou”wasthereply：”youdo。Tomyeyes，M。AlaindeSt-Yveshasscarceapleasingexterior。Andyet，whenI
knewyouwerehere，andwasactuallylookingforyou-why，thelikenesshelped。AsforhowIcametoknowyourwhereabouts，byanoddenoughchance，itisagainM。Alainwehavetothank。Ishouldtellyou，hehasforsometimemadeithisbusinesstokeepM。deKeroualinformedofyourcareer；withwhatpurposeIleaveyoutojudge。Whenhefirstbroughtthenewsofyour-thatyouwereservingBuonaparte，itseemeditmightbethedeathoftheoldgentleman，sohotwashisresentment。Butfromonethingtoanother，mattershavealittlechanged。OrIshouldrathersay，notalittle。WelearnedyouwereunderordersforthePeninsula，tofighttheEnglish；thenthatyouhadbeencommissionedforapieceofbravery，andwereagainreducedtotheranks。AndfromonethingtoanotherasIsay，M。deKeroualbecameusedtotheideathatyouwerehiskinsmanandyetservedwithBuonaparte，andfilledinsteadwithwonderthatheshouldhaveanotherkinsmanwhowassoremarkablywellinformedofeventsinFrance。Anditnowbecameaverydisagreeablequestion，whethertheyounggentlemanwasnotaspy？Inshort，sir，inseekingtodisserveyou，hehadaccumulatedagainsthimselfaloadofsuspicions。”
Myvisitornowpaused，tooksnuff，andlookedatmewithanairofbenevolence。”GoodGod，sir！”saysI，”thisisacuriousstory。””YouwillsaysobeforeIhavedone”saidhe。”Fortherehavetwoeventsfollowed。ThefirstofthesewasanencounterofM。deKeroualandM。deMauseant。””Iknowthemantomycost”saidI：”itwasthroughhimIlostmycommission。””Doyoutellmeso？”hecried。”Why，hereisnews！””Oh，Icannotcomplain！”saidI。”Iwasinthewrong。Ididitwithmyeyesopen。Ifamangetsaprisonertoguardandletshimgo，theleasthecanexpectistobedegraded。””Youwillbepaidforit”saidhe。”Youdidwellforyourselfandbetterforyourking。””IfIhadthoughtIwasinjuringmyemperor”saidI，”IwouldhaveletM。deMauseantburninhellereIhadhelpedhim，andbesureofthat！Isawinhimonlyaprivatepersoninadifficulty：Ilethimgoinprivatecharity；noteventoprofitmyselfwillIsufferittobemisunderstood。””Well，well”saidthelawyer，”nomatternow。Thisisafoolishwarmth-averymisplacedenthusiasm，believeme！ThepointofthestoryisthatM。deMauseantspokeofyouwithgratitude，anddrewyourcharacterinsuchamannerasgreatlytoaffectyouruncle”sviews。Harduponthebackofwhich，incameyourhumbleservant，andlaidbeforehimthedirectproofofwhatwehadbeensolongsuspecting。Therewasnodubietypermitted。M。Alain”sexpensivewayoflife，hisclothesandmistresses，hisdicingandracehorses，wereallexplained：hewasinthepayofBuonaparte，ahiredspy，andamanthatheldthestringsofwhatIcanonlycallaconvolutionofextremelyfishyenterprises。TodoM。deKeroualjustice，hetookitinthebestwayimaginable，destroyedtheevidencesoftheonegreat-nephew”sdisgrace-andtransferredhisinterestwhollytotheother。””WhatamItounderstandbythat？”saidI。”Iwilltellyou”sayshe。”Thereisaremarkableinconsistencyinhumannaturewhichgentlemenofmyclothhaveagreatdealofoccasiontoobserve。Selfishpersonscanlivewithoutchickorchild，theycanlivewithoutallmankindexceptperhapsthebarberandtheapothecary；butwhenitcomestodying，theyseemphysicallyunabletodiewithoutanheir。Youcanapplythisprincipleforyourself。ViscountAlain，thoughhescarceguessesit，isnolongerinthefield。Remains，ViscountAnne。””Isee”saidI，”yougiveaveryunfavourableimpressionofmyuncle，theCount。””Ihadnotmeantit”saidhe。”Hehasledalooselife-sadlyloose-butheisamanitisimpossibletoknowandnottoadmire；
hiscourtesyisexquisite。””Andsoyouthinkthereisactuallyachanceforme？”Iasked。”Understand”saidhe：”insayingasmuchasIhavedone，Itravelquitebeyondmybrief。Ihavebeenclothedwithnocapacitytotalkofwills，orheritages，oryourcousin。Iwassentheretomakebuttheonecommunication：thatM。deKeroualdesirestomeethisgreat-nephew。””Well”saidI，lookingaboutmeonthebattlementsbywhichwesatsurrounded，”thisisacaseinwhichMahometmustcertainlycometothemountain。””Pardonme”saidMr。Romaine；”youknowalreadyyouruncleisanagedman；butIhavenotyettoldyouthatheisquitebrokenup，andhisdeathshortlylookedfor。No，no，thereisnodoubtaboutit-itisthemountainthatmustcometoMahomet。””FromanEnglishman，theremarkiscertainlysignificant”saidI；”butyouareofcourse，andbytrade，akeeperofmen”ssecrets，andIseeyoukeepthatofCousinAlain，whichisnotthemarkofatruculentpatriotism，tosaytheleast。””Iamfirstofallthelawyerofyourfamily！”sayshe。”Thatbeingso”saidI，”Icanperhapsstretchapointmyself。
Thisrockisveryhigh，anditisverysteep；amanmightcomebyadevilofafallfromalmostanypartofit，andyetIbelieveI