Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rudyard Kipling
money afterwards, indeed it did. And there I found out about and my two brothers to Heaven by the little door,” —that
Monsieur Peringuey. He was a proper rogue too! None of was one of the emigre names for the guillotine. “He will be
‘em had a good word for him except the Marquise that kept on the winning side if it costs him the blood of every friend
the French boarding-house on Fourth Street. I made out that he has in the world.”
his real name was the Count Talleyrand de Perigord—a priest ‘“Then what does he want here?” says one of ‘em. “We have
right enough, but sorely come down in the world. He’d been all lost our game.”
King Louis’ Ambassador to England a year or two back, be- ‘“My faith!” says the Marquise. “He will find out, if any
fore the French had cut off King Louis’ head; and, by what I one can, whether this canaille of a Washington means to help
heard, that head wasn’t hardly more than hanging loose be- us to fight England. Genet” (that was my Ambassador in the
fore he’d run back to Paris and prevailed on Danton, the very Embuscade) “has failed and gone off disgraced; Faucher” (he
man which did the murder, to send him back to England was the new man) “hasn’t done any better, but our Abbe will
again as Ambassador of the French Republic! That was too find out, and he will make his profit out of the news. Such a
much for the English, so they kicked him out by Act of Par- man does not fall.”
liament, and he’d fled to the Americas without money or ‘“He begins unluckily,” says the Vicomte. “He was set upon
friends or prospects. I’m telling you the talk in the washhouse. today in the street for not hooting your Washington.” They
Some of ‘em was laughing over it. Says the French Marquise, all laughed again, and one remarks, “How does the poor devil
“My friends, you laugh too soon. That man ‘ll be on the keep himself?”
winning side before any of us.”
‘He must have slipped in through the washhouse door, for
‘“I did not know you were so fond of priests, Marquise,” he flits past me and joins ‘em, cold as ice.
says the Vicomte. His lady did my washing, as I’ve told you. ‘“One does what one can,” he says. “I sell buttons. And
‘“I have my reasons,” says the Marquise. “He sent my uncle you, Marquise?”
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