“‘What do you mean,’ he said, ‘by being between two?’

“I replied that, on the one hand, it scarcely seemed to me he could believe what he said; and, on the other, I feared he might be under some mistake as to the person.  He assured me, however, he would not trifle with my feelings on such a subject, and had ample means in his possession to satisfy me that there was no mistake whatever.  I requested him to proceed with the disclosure partly made, and to inform me in full of the secret of my birth.  He replied that, in doing so, it was necessary that a certain process should be gone through in order to guard the interest of all parties concerned.  I inquired what kind of process he meant.  Upon this the prince rose and went to his trunk, which was in the room, and took from it a parchment which he laid on the table and set before me, that I might read and give him my determination in regard to it.  There were also on the table pen and ink and wax, and he placed there a governmental seal of France—­the one, if I mistake not, used under the old monarchy.  The document which the prince placed before me was very handsomely written in double parallel columns of French and English.  I continued intently reading and considering it for a space of four or five hours.  During this time the prince left me undisturbed, remaining for the most part in the room, but he went out three or four times.

“The purport of the document which I read repeatedly word by word, comparing the French with the English, was this:  It was a solemn abdication of the crown of France in favour of Louis Philippe by Charles Louis, the son of Louis XVI., who was styled Louis XVII., King of France and Navarre, with all accompanying names and titles of honour, according to the custom of the old French monarchy, together with a minute specification in legal phraseology of the conditions and considerations and provisos upon which the abdication was made.  These conditions were, in brief, that a princely establishment should be secured to me either in America or in France, at my option, and that Louis Philippe would pledge himself on his part to secure the restoration, or an equivalent for it, of all the private property of the royal family rightfully belonging to me, which had been confiscated in France during the revolution, or in any way got into other hands.”

After excusing himself for not taking a copy of this precious document when he had the chance, and mentioning, among other reasons, “the sense of personal dignity which had been excited by these disclosures,” the Rev. Eleazar proceeds with his narrative:—­

“At length I made my decision, and rose and told the prince that I had considered the matter fully in all its aspects, and was prepared to give him my definite answer upon the subject; and then went on to say, that whatever might be the personal consequences to myself, I felt I could not be the instrument of bartering away with my own hand the rights pertaining to me by my birth, and sacrificing the interests of my family, and that I could only give to him the answer which De Provence gave to the ambassador of Napoleon at Warsaw—­’Though I am in poverty and exile, I will not sacrifice my honour.’