“Yes,” said De Nevers, “and M’sieu’ is naturally surprised that one of my distinguished position should be now a tenant of an American jail.  But if M’sieu’ will do me the honor of listening for a few moments I will explain my present extraordinary predicament.  I am Charles Julius Francois, eldest son of the late Oscar Odon, Duc de Nevers, Grand Commander of the Legion of Honor, and Knight of the Garter.  I was born in Paris in the year 1860 at 148 Rue Champs Elysee; my mother, the dowager duchess, is now residing at the Chateau de Nevers in the Province of Nievre in France.  My sister Jeanne married Prince Henry of Aremberg, and now lives in Brussells at the Palais d’Aremberg, situated at the corner of the Rue de Regence near the Palais de Justice.  My sister Louise, the Countess of Kilkenny, is living in Ireland.  My sister Camille married the Marquis of Londonderry and is residing in London at the present time.  My sister Evelyn married the Earl of Dudley and is living in Dublin.  I have one other sister, Marie, who is with my mother.  My brother, Count Andre de Nevers is at present Naval Attache at Berlin.  My brother Fernand is an officer of artillery stationed in Madagascar, and my youngest brother Marcel is also an officer of artillery attached to the 8th Regiment in Nancy.  I make this statement by way of introduction in order that you may understand fully my situation.  During my childhood I had an English tutor in Paris, and when I reached the age of ten years I was sent by my father to the College Louis le Grand where I took the course of Science and Letters and graduated from the Lycee with the degree of Bachelor on the 5th of August, 1877.  Having passed my examination for the Polytechnic I remained there two years, and on my graduation received a commission as Sous-Lieutenant of Engineers, and immediately entered the Application School at Fontainebleau, where I was graduated in 1881 as Lieutenant of Engineers and assigned to the First Regiment of Engineers at Versailles—­”

De Nevers paused and exhaled the cigarette smoke.

“M’sieu’ will pardon me if I go into detail for only in that way will he be convinced of the accuracy of what I am telling him.”

“Pray, go on,” said I.  “If what you tell me is true your case is extraordinary indeed.”

“My first act of service,” continued De Nevers, “was on the 10th of August when I was sent to Tonkin.  I will not trouble you with the details of my voyage on the transport to China, but will simply state that I was wounded in the engagement at Yung Chuang on the 7th of November of the same year and had the distinction of receiving the Cross of the Legion of Honor therefor.  I was immediately furloughed back to France, where I entered the Superior School of War and took my Staff Major brevet.  At the same time I seized the opportunity to follow the course of the Sorbonne and secured the additional degree of Doctor of Science.  I had received an excellent education in my youth and always had a taste for study, which I have taken pains to pursue in whatever part of the world I happened to be stationed.  As a result I am able to converse with considerable fluency in English, as perhaps you have already observed, as well as in Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Arabic, and, to a considerable extent, in Japanese.