“NowIwillrunandcalltheporter，“saidSimon，hurriedly；“heshallsendsomeonetotheHotelDieu，andbringaphysicianformypoor，dear，sickJeanneMarie。“
Hehastenedout，andturnedback，afterafewminutes，withthereportthattheporterhimselfhadgonetobringadoctor，andthathelpwouldcomeatonce。
“Nonsense!“criedJeanneMarie；“nodoctorcanhelpme，andthereisnothingatallthatIwant。Onlygivemesomethingtodrink，Simon，formythroatburnslikefire，andthencalllittleCapetin，forinhisdarkroomhiseyesglistenlikestars，andIcannotbearthem。“
Simonshookhisheadsadly；and，whileholdingaglassofcoldwatertoherlips，hesaidtohimself：“JeanneMarieisreallysick!Shehasafever!Butwemustdowhatsheorders，elseitwillcometodelirium，andshemightbecomeinsane。“
Andwithaloudvoicehecalled，“Capet，Capet!comehere，comehere!youviper，youwolf’scub，comehere!“
Theboyobeyedthecommand，slowlycreptintotheroom，andsatdownintherush-chairinthecorner。“Heshallnotlookatme，“shriekedJeanneMarie；“heshallnotlookintomyheartwithhisdreadfulblueeyes，ithurtsme——oh!somuch，somuch!“
“Turnaround，youviper!“saidSimon。“Lookroundthiswayagain，orI’lltearyoureyesoutofyourhead!I——“
Thedoorleadingtothecorridornowopened，andanoldman，leaningonacane，entered，wearingonhisheadapowderedperuke，hisbentformcoveredwithablacksatincoat，beneathwhichasatinvestwasseen；onhisfeet，silkstockingsandbuckledshoes；inhislace-
encircledhand，acanewithagoldhead。
“Well，“criedSimon，withalaugh，“whatsortofanoldscarecrowisthat？Andwhatdoesitwanthere？“
“Thescarecrowwantsnothingofyou，“saidtheoldman，inakindlyway，“butyouwantsomethingofit，citizen。Youhavesentforme。“
“Ah!soyouarethedoctorfromtheHotelDieu。“
“Yes，myfriend，IamCitizenNaudin。“
“Naudin，thechiefphysicianattheHotelDieu？“criedSimon。“Andyoucomeyourselftoseemysickwife？“
“Doesthatsurpriseyou，CitizenSimon？“
“Yes，indeed，itsurprisesme。ForIhavebeentoldsooftenthatCitizenNaudin，thegreatestandmostskilfulphysicianinallParis，neverleavestheHotelDieu；thatthearistocratsandci-
devantshavebeggedhiminvaintoattendthem，andthateventheAustrianwoman，inthedayswhenshewasqueen，senttonopurposetothecelebratedNaudin，andbeggedhimtocometoVersailles。
Weheardthattheanswerwas：’IamthephysicianofthepoorandthesickintheHotelDieu，andwhoeverispoorandsickmaycometomeinthehousewhichbearsthenameofGod。Butwhoeveristoorichandtoowellforthat，mustseekanotherdoctor，formydutieswiththesickdonotallowmetoleavetheH6telDieu。’Andafterthatanswerreachedthepalace——sothegreatDoctorMarattoldme——thequeenhadherhorsesharnessed，anddrovetoParis，toconsultDoctorNaudinattheHotelDieu，andtoreceivehisadvice。Isthestoryreallytrue，andareyouDoctorNaudin？“
“Thestoryisstrictlytrue，and，myfriend，IamDoctorNaudin。“
“AndyounowleavetheHotelDieutocomeandvisitmysickwife？“
askedSimon，withapleasantlookandaflatteredmanner。
“Doesyourwifenotbelongtomypoorandsick？“askedthedoctor。
“Isshenotawomanofthepeople，thisdearFrenchpeople，towhomIhavedevotedmyservicesandmylife？ForaqueenDoctorNaudinmightnotleavehishospital，butforawomanofthepeoplehedoesit。Andnow，citizen，letmeseeyoursickwife，forIdidnotcomeheretotalk。“
WithoutwaitingforSimon’sanswer，thephysicianwalkeduptothebed，satdownonthechairinfrontofit，andbeganatoncetoinvestigatetheconditionofthewoman，whoreachedhimherfeverishhand，and，withanalmostinaudiblevoice，answeredhisprofessionalquestions。
Thecobblerstoodatthefootofthebed，anddirectedhislittlecunningeyestothephysicianinamazementandadmiration。Behindhim，inthecorner，satthesonofMarieAntoinette，humiliated，still，andmotionless。Yet，inspiteoftheinjunctionofJeanneMarie，hehadturnedaround，andwaslookingtowardthebed；butnottotheknitteroftheguillotinewerehislooksdirected，buttothisvenerableoldgentlemanwithhispowderedperuke，hissatincoat，silkstockings，breeches，shoe-buckles，goldembroideredwaistcoatandlaceruffles。Thiscostumeremindedhimofthepast；
thehallsofVersaillescamebacktohim，andhesawbeforehimtheshadowyfiguresofthecavaliersofthattime，allclothedlikethedearoldgentlemanwhowassittingbeforethebedthere。
“Whydoyoulookatmeinsuchawonderingway，CitizenSimon？“
askedNaudin，whowasnowthroughwithhisexamination。
“Ireallywonder——Ireallydowonderimmensely，“saidSimon，“andthatissayingmuch，for，inthesetimes，whentherearesomanychanges，amancanhardlywonderatanything。StillIdowonder，CitizenNaudin，thatyoucanventuretogoaroundinthiscostume。
Thatisthestyleofclothingwornbytraitorousci-devantsandaristocrats。Anybodyelsewhodareputitonwouldhaveonlyonemorewalktotake，thattotheguillotine，andyetyouventuretocomehere!“
“Venture？“repeatedNaudin，withashrug。“Iventurenothing，citizen。Iwearmyclothesinconformitywithahabitofyears’
standing：theyfittedwellunderthemonarchy，theyfitjustaswellundertherepublic，andIamnotgoingtobesuchafoolastoputbymysoftandcomfortablesilkclothes，andputonyourhateful，uncomfortablethickones，andstrutaboutinthem。Iamaltogethertoooldtotakeupthenewfashions，andaltogethertoowellsatisfiedwithmyownsuittolearnhowtowearyourclothcoatswithswallow-tails，andyourleatherhoseandtop-boots。Defendmefromcrowdingmyoldlimbsintosuchstuffs!“
“Citizendoctor，“criedSimon，withalaugh，“youareajolly，goodoldfellow，andIlikeyouwell。Idonotblameyouforpreferringyourcomfortablesilkclothestothenewstylethatourrevolutionaryheroeshavebroughtintomode，thatnothingmightremindusofthecursed，God-forsakenmonarchy。Iwondermerelythattheyallowit，anddonotmakeyouaheadshorter!“
“ButhowwouldtheygoonwithmattersintheHotelDieu？Withoutaheadnothingcouldbedonewiththesickandthesuffering，forwithoutaheadthereisnothinking。Now，asIamtheheadofthehospital，andastheyhavenoheadtotakemyplace，andas，inspiteofmyold-fashionedclothes，mysickarecured，andhaveconfidenceinme，thegreatrevolutionaryheroeswinkatme，andletmedoasIplease，fortheyknowthatunderthesilkdressofanaristocratbeatstheheartofatruedemocrat。Butthatisnotthequestionbeforeusnow，citizen。Wewanttotalkaboutthehealthofyourwifehere。Sheissick，shehasafever，anditwillbeworseyetwithher，unlesswetakepromptmeasuresandprovideacoolingdrinkforher。“
“Doit，citizendoctor，“saidSimon；“makemyJeanneMariewellandbrightagain，orIshallgocrazyhereinthisaccursedhouse。
JeanneMarieissickjustwiththis，thatsheisnotaccustomedtobeidle，andtositstillandfoldherhandsinherlap，andrunaroundlikeawildbeastinitscage。ButhereintheTempleitisnobetterthaninacage；andItellyou，citizen，itisenoughtomakeonecrazyhere，andithasmadeJeannesicktohavenofreshair，noexerciseandwork。“
“Butwhyhasshenoexerciseandnowork？Whydoesshenotgooutintothestreetandtaketheair？“
“Becauseshecannot，“criedSimon，passionately。“Becausethecursedlittleviperthereembittersourwholelifeandmakesusprisonerstothismiserable，wretchedprisoner，Lookathimthere，theinfernallittlewolf!heistheonetoblamethatIcannotgointothestreet，cannotvisittheclubs，theConvention，oranymeeting，butmustlireherelikeaTrappist，orlikeanimprisonedcriminal。
Heistheonetoblamethatmywifecannolongertakeherplaceattheguillotine，andknitandgoonwithherworkthere。“
“Yes，“criedJeanneMarie，withagroan，raisingherheadpainfullyfromthepillow，“heistoblameforitall，theshamelessrascal。
Hehasmadememelancholyandsad；hehasworried，andvexed，andchangedme!Oh!oh!heislookingatmeagain，andhiseyesburnintomyheart!“
“Miserableviper，“criedSimon，dashingtowardtheboywithclinchedfists，“howdareyouturnyourhatefuleyestowardher，afterherexpresslyforbiddingit？Wait，Iwillteachyoutodisobey，andgiveyoualessonthatyouwillnotforget。“
Hisheavyhandfellonthebackoftheboy，andwasraisedagainforasecondstroke，whenitwasheldasinanironvice。
“Yougood-for-nothing，whatareyoudoing？“criedathunderingvoice，andtwoblazingeyesflashedonhimfromthereddenedfaceofDoctorNaudin。
Simon’seyesfellbeforetheangrylookofthephysician，thenhebrokeoutintoaloudlaugh。
“Citizendoctor，Isay，whatajollyfellowyouare，“hesaid，merrily。“Youdidthatjustasifyouwereinatheatre，andyoucalledouttomejustastheycallouttothemurderersinatragedy。WhatdoyoumakesuchahallooaboutwhenIchastisethewolf’scubabit，ashehasrichlydeserved？“
“Itistrue，“saidNaudin，“Iwasalittlehasty。Butthatcomesfromthefact，citizen，thatInotonlyheldyoutobeagoodrepublican，butagoodmanaswell，andthereforeitpainedmetoseeyoudoathingwhichbecomesneitherarepublicannoragoodman。“
“Why，whathaveIdonethatisnotproper？“askedSimon，inamazement。