“Very true, monsieur.”

“What do you mean by ‘very true’?”

“It must be true, since you say it; but pray, be assured that it in no way lessens my opinion of you.”

“Ah, that is lucky.”

“No; you are a man of genius; and whenever the question happens to be of war, tactics, surprises, or good honest blows to be dealt with, why, kings are marionettes, compared to you.

But for the consolations of the mind, the proper care of the body, the agreeable things of like, if one may say so — ah! monsieur, don’t talk to me about men of genius; they are nothing short of executioners.”

“Good,”