relieving officer on the civil list. This functionary one day
discovered that La Palferine was in dire distress, drew up a report,
no doubt, and brought the descendant of the Rusticolis fifty francs by
way of alms. La Palferine received the visitor with perfect courtesy,
and talked of various persons at court.

"'Is it true,' he asked, 'that Mlle. d'Orleans contributes such and
such a sum to this benevolent scheme started by her nephew? If so, it
is very gracious of her.'

"Now La Palferine had a servant, a little Savoyard, aged ten, who
waited on him without wages. La Palferine called him Father Anchises,
and used to say, 'I have never seen such a mixture of besotted
foolishness with great intelligence; he would go through fire and
water for me; he understands everything--and yet he cannot grasp the
fact that I can do nothing for him.'

"Anchises was despatched to a livery stable with instructions to hire
a handsome brougham with a man in livery behind it. By the time the
carriage arrived below, La Palferine had skilfully piloted the
conversation to the subject of the functions of his visitor, whom he
has since called 'the unmitigated misery man,' and learned the nature
of his duties and his stipend.

"'Do they allow you a carriage to go about the town in this way?'

"'Oh! no.'

"At that La Palferine and a friend who happened to be with him went
downstairs with the poor soul, and insisted on putting him into the