In France there
is no want of honour where there is no want of courage; you may lie,
but you must not hear that you lie. I asked him what he thought
then of lying; and he replied, -
"'C'est selon.'
"'And suppose you should overhear the whisper?'
"'Ah, parbleu! Cela m'irrite; cela me pousse au bout.'
"I was going on to remark that a real man of honour could less bear
to lie than to hear it; when he cried, at the words REAL MAN OF
HONOUR, -
"'Le voila, Monsieur! le voila!' and gave himself such a blow on the
breast as convinced me the French are a brave people.
"He told us that nothing but his honour was left him, but that it
supplied the place of all he had lost. It was discovered some time
afterward that M. Dubois had been guilty of perjury, had been a spy,
and had lost nothing but a dozen or two of tin patty-pans,
hereditary in his family, his father having been a cook on his own
account.
"William, it is well at thy time of life that thou shouldst know the
customs of far countries, particularly if it should be the will of
God to place thee in a company of players. Of all nations in the
world, the French best understand the stage. If thou shouldst ever
write for it, which God forbid, copy them very carefully.
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