"You will understand at once the allegory. A tailor was condemned to be hung; there was no other tailor in the village; what do the inhabitants do? They said to the judge, 'Your honor, we have only one tailor, and we have three shoemakers; if it is all the same to you to hang one of the shoemakers in the place of the tailor, we shall have quite enough with two shoemakers.' Do you comprehend the allegory, Conrad?"
'Yes, cousin."
"And you, Saint Remy?"
"I also."
"The coach," said one of the servants.
"Oh! but why do you not wear your diamonds?" said M. de Lucenay, unexpectedly; "with this dress they would look devilish well."
Saint Remy shuddered.
"For one poor little time that we go out together," continued the duke, "you might have honored me with your diamonds. They are really very handsome. Have you ever seen them, Saint Remy?"
"Yes; his lordship knows them by heart," said Clotilde. "Give me your arm, Conrad."
Lucenay followed the duchess with Saint Remy, who was almost beside himself with rage.