CHAPTER IV.

History of Sans-Chagrin-He is interrupted by a violent noise, occasioned by the rudeness of one of the Consular officers to a young girl-A battle in the Inn-The triumph of Sans-Chagrin.

"TO the city of Paris I owe my birth. My father, a merchant of that city, but grievously infected with the mania of thinking himself possessed of more wit than all the men of his order, had conceived the project of making me what is commonly called a genius. He early appointed me masters of every kind. I amply returned all his cares; and my progress in all things, but most particularly in the bodily exercises, was extremely rapid. In this I was greatly aided by nature, who had bestowed upon me a most extraordinary share of physical powers.

My father, who with delight perceived that I every day disclosed the germ of of some new talent, continually spoke of me as a little prodigy---or, to say every thing in one word---his son ;---said I was his work, and that he might reasonably expect every thing from me.

"This extravagant enthusiasm of my father rose to its greatest height, just as I had attained my eighteenth year---when the innumerable eulogies which were heaped upon me---the comparisons which were so often made between me and himself, and which always turned to my advantage, began to sting his pride, to wound his self-love, and soon changed his paternal affection, which had been truly great, and which I had ever before experienced from him, into the most inveterate hatred. From being my most extravagant admirer, he became my most rigid censurer. I no longer did any thing well: I was nothing better than a forward,

presumptuous youth destitute of talents, inflamed with pride, devoured with ambition, flattering himself to be equal to all things, and fitted for nothing. With the greatest good nature and respect I represented to him that he greatly misjudged me-..that I had always, to the very best of my abilities, conformed to his will and followed his advice, and had considered it my greatest pride to make him the object of my imitation in every thing. He regarded my deference as timidity---my submission he considered to be hypocrisy. One day, having accused me of some fault, of which I was guiltless and wished to exculpate myself, he carried his barbarity so far as to give me a hard slap on the face---a length to which he never in his life before had allowed his anger to carry him. Filled with shame. and resentment at such treatment, but still revering him as the author of my being, I left him, saying to him at parting, that if God was just, he would expiate the injustice he had done me before

he died. Whether it was that he was frightened at the thoughts of Heaven's vengeance, or that he had no faith in my prediction, he got into such an outrageous passion with me, that he ordered me never again to appear before him, and in fine, gave me his curse. Bursting with this melancholy intelligence, I hastened to my uncle, who lived a considerable way from our house, and immediately told him my sad story, beseeching him to advise me what steps I ought to pursue in this difficulty.

My uncle, whose character was directly the reverse of that of my father, without running, like him, after a reputation for wit, had amassed by trade a considerable fortune, and spent his income in pursuing the career of those pleasures to which he had attached himself; always laughing, giving himself no pain or uneasiness about any thing, ridiculing the world, and above all his brother; was not at all sorry to have an occasion of an

gering him. Wherefore, having heard my complaint, he replied: "Your father "is a weak man. His ridiculous affecta"tion of wit has made him commit a "thousand extravagancies; but his con"duct in driving you from his house has "filled up the measure of his baseness

so high that I will have no more to do "with him. Stay here with me. You "shall drink well and eat no worse; you

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may take your amusement as you

please, and you may sleep in tranquilli"ty. My son Belfort, whom you know, " and who, like myself, loves pleasure, is "at this moment in his chamber---go find "him out, and tell him from me that I "desire he will introduce you to his friends. As for myself, I will go and "find mine. So farewell, until we meet again."

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Delighted with receiving this frank and generous reception from my uncle, and disgusted with the unkind conduct of my father, I hastened to my cousin Belfort.