But the Colonel had already opened the window, and was crying out to the Savoyard: "Eh! Friend! A napoleon for you if you will tell me in what year I am drawing the breath of life!" The artist began dancing as lightly as possible playing on his musical instrument.
"Advance at the order!" cried the Colonel, "and keep that devilish machine still!" "A little penny, my good monsieur!" "It is not a penny that I'll give you, but a napoleon, if you'll tell me what year it is." "Oh but that's funny! Hi--hi--hi!" "And if you don't tell me quicker than this amounts to, I'll cut your ears off!" The Savoyard ran away, but he came back pretty soon, having meditated, during his flight, on the maxim: "Nothing risk nothing gain." "Monsieur," said he, in a wheedling voice, "this is the year Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-nine." "Good!" cried Fougas.

He felt in his pockets for money, and found nothing there.

Leon saw his predicament, and flung twenty francs into the court.

Before shutting the window, he pointed out, to the right, the facade of a pretty little new building where the Colonel could distinctly read AUDRET ARCHITECTE.
MDCCCLIX.
A perfectly satisfactory piece of evidence, and one which did not cost twenty francs.
Fougas, a little confused, pressed Leon's hand, and said to him: "My friend, I do not forget that Confidence is the first duty from Gratitude toward Beneficence.

But tell me of our country! I tread the sacred soil where I received my being, and I am ignorant of the career of my native land.