suchlampsasthesun，moon，andstars；oranyfigurestobecomparedwithliving，loving，mutually-helpfulmen？WherearethereanyrecordsofGod’sgoodnesssoeasytounderstandastheblessingswhichGodhasstrewnabroadforman’shappiness？Whereisthereanybookofthelawsocleartoeachmanasthatwritteninhisheart？Whatsacrificesequaltheself-denialswhichlovingmenandwomenmakeforoneanother？Andwhataltarcanbecomparedwiththeheartofagoodman，onwhichGodHimselfacceptsthesacrifice？
’Thehigheraman’sconceptionofGod，thebetterwillheknowHim。
AndthebetterheknowsGod，thenearerwillhedrawtoHim，imitatingHisgoodness，Hismercy，andHisloveofman。
’Therefore，lethimwhoseesthesun’swholelightfillingtheworld，refrainfromblamingordespisingthesuperstitiousman，whoinhisownidolseesonerayofthatsamelight。Lethimnotdespiseeventheunbelieverwhoisblindandcannotseethesunatall。’
SospoketheChinaman，thestudentofConfucius；andallwhowerepresentinthecoffee-houseweresilent，anddisputednomoreastowhosefaithwasthebest。
NEARthebordersofFranceandItaly，ontheshoreoftheMediterraneanSea，liesatinylittlekingdomcalledMonaco。Manyasmallcountrytowncanboastmoreinhabitantsthanthiskingdom，forthereareonlyaboutseventhousandofthemalltold，andifallthelandinthekingdomweredividedtherewouldnotbeanacreforeachinhabitant。Butinthistoykingdomthereisarealkinglet；
andhehasapalace，andcourtiers，andministers，andabishop，andgenerals，andanarmy。
Itisnotalargearmy，onlysixtymeninall，butstillitisanarmy。
Therewerealsotaxesinthiskingdomaselsewhere:ataxontobacco，andonwineandspiritsandapoll-tax。Butthoughthepeopletheredrinkandsmokeaspeopledoinothercountries，therearesofewofthemthattheKingwouldhavebeenhardputtoittofeedhiscourtiersandofficialsandtokeephimself，ifhehadnotfoundanewandspecialsourceofrevenue。Thisspecialrevenuecomesfromagaminghouse，wherepeopleplayroulette。
Peopleplay，andwhethertheywinorlosethekeeperalwaysgetsapercentageontheturnover；andoutofhisprofitshepaysalargesumtotheKing。ThereasonhepayssomuchisthatitistheonlysuchgamblingestablishmentleftinEurope。SomeofthelittleGermanSovereignsusedtokeepgaminghousesofthesamekind，butsomeyearsagotheywereforbiddentodoso。Thereasontheywerestoppedwasbecausethesegaminghousesdidsomuchharm。Amanwouldcomeandtryhisluck，thenhewouldriskallhehadandloseit，thenhewouldevenriskmoneythatdidnotbelongtohimandlosethattoo，andthen，indespair，hewoulddrownorshoothimself。SotheGermansforbadetheirrulerstomakemoneyinthisway；buttherewasnoonetostoptheKingofMonaco，andheremainedwithamonopolyofthebusiness。
SonoweveryonewhowantstogamblegoestoMonaco。Whethertheywinorlose，theKinggainsbyit。’Youcan’tearnstonepalacesbyhonestlabour，’astheproverbsays；andtheKingletofMonacoknowsitisadirtybusiness，butwhatishetodo？Hehastolive；andtodrawarevenuefromdrinkandfromtobaccoisalsonotanicething。Sohelivesandreigns，andrakesinthemoney，andholdshiscourtwithalltheceremonyofarealking。
Hehashiscoronation，hislevees；herewards，sentences，andpardons，andhealsohashisreviews，councils，laws，andcourtsofjustice:justlikeotherkings，onlyallonasmallerscale。
NowithappenedafewyearsagothatamurderwascommittedinthistoyKing’sdomains。Thepeopleofthatkingdomarepeaceable，andsuchathinghadnothappenedbefore。Thejudgesassembledwithmuchceremonyandtriedthecaseinthemostjudicialmanner。Therewerejudges，andprosecutors，andjurymen，andbarristers。Theyarguedandjudged，andatlasttheycondemnedthecriminaltohavehisheadcutoffasthelawdirects。
Sofarsogood。NexttheysubmittedthesentencetotheKing。
TheKingreadthesentenceandconfirmedit。’Ifthefellowmustbeexecuted，executehim。’
Therewasonlyonehitchinthematter；andthatwasthattheyhadneitheraguillotineforcuttingheadsoff，noranexecutioner。
TheMinistersconsideredthematter，anddecidedtoaddressaninquirytotheFrenchGovernment，askingwhethertheFrenchcouldnotlendthemamachineandanexperttocutoffthecriminal’shead；andifso，wouldtheFrenchkindlyinformthemwhatthecostwouldbe。Theletterwassent。Aweeklaterthereplycame:
amachineandanexpertcouldbesupplied，andthecostwouldbe16，000francs。ThiswaslaidbeforetheKing。Hethoughtitover。Sixteenthousandfrancs！’Thewretchisnotworththemoney，’saidhe。’Can’titbedone，somehow，cheaper？Why16，000francsismorethantwofrancsaheadonthewholepopulation。
Thepeoplewon’tstandit，anditmaycauseariot！’
SoaCouncilwascalledtoconsiderwhatcouldbedone；anditwasdecidedtosendasimilarinquirytotheKingofItaly。TheFrenchGovernmentisrepublican，andhasnoproperrespectforkings；
buttheKingofItalywasabrothermonarch，andmightbeinducedtodothethingcheaper。Sotheletterwaswritten，andapromptreplywasreceived。
TheItalianGovernmentwrotethattheywouldhavepleasureinsupplyingbothamachineandanexpert；andthewholecostwouldbe12，000francs，includingtravellingexpenses。Thiswascheaper，butstillitseemedtoomuch。Therascalwasreallynotworththemoney。Itwouldstillmeannearlytwofrancsmoreperheadonthetaxes。
AnotherCouncilwascalled。Theydiscussedandconsideredhowitcouldbedonewithlessexpense。Couldnotoneofthesoldiersperhapsbegottodoitinaroughandhomelyfashion？TheGeneralwascalledandwasasked:’Can’tyoufindusasoldierwhowouldcuttheman’sheadoff？Inwartheydon’tmindkillingpeople。Infact，thatiswhattheyaretrainedfor。’SotheGeneraltalkeditoverwiththesoldierstoseewhetheroneofthemwouldnotundertakethejob。Butnoneofthesoldierswoulddoit。’No，’theysaid，’wedon’tknowhowtodoit；itisnotathingwehavebeentaught。’
Whatwastobedone？AgaintheMinistersconsideredandreconsidered。
TheyassembledaCommission，andaCommittee，andaSub-Committee，andatlasttheydecidedthatthebestthingwouldbetoalterthedeathsentencetooneofimprisonmentforlife。
ThiswouldenabletheKingtoshowhismercy，anditwouldcomecheaper。
TheKingagreedtothis，andsothematterwasarranged。Theonlyhitchnowwasthattherewasnosuitableprisonforamansentencedforlife。Therewasasmalllock-upwherepeopleweresometimeskepttemporarily，buttherewasnostrongprisonfitforpermanentuse。However，theymanagedtofindaplacethatwoulddo，andtheyputtheyoungfellowthereandplacedaguardoverhim。Theguardhadtowatchthecriminal，andhadalsotofetchhisfoodfromthepalacekitchen。
Theprisonerremainedtheremonthaftermonthtillayearhadpassed。
Butwhenayearhadpassed，theKinglet，lookingovertheaccountofhisincomeandexpenditureoneday，noticedanewitemofexpenditure。Thiswasforthekeepofthecriminal；norwasitasmallitemeither。Therewasaspecialguard，andtherewasalsotheman’sfood。Itcametomorethan600francsayear。Andtheworstofitwasthatthefellowwasstillyoungandhealthy，andmightliveforfiftyyears。Whenonecametoreckonitup，thematterwasserious。Itwouldneverdo。SotheKingsummonedhisMinistersandsaidtothem:
’Youmustfindsomecheaperwayofdealingwiththisrascal。Thepresentplanistooexpensive。’AndtheMinistersmetandconsideredandreconsidered，tilloneofthemsaid:’Gentlemen，inmyopinionwemustdismisstheguard。’’Butthen，’rejoinedanotherMinister，’thefellowwillrunaway。’’Well，’saidthefirstspeaker，’lethimrunaway，andbehangedtohim！’SotheyreportedtheresultoftheirdeliberationstotheKinglet，andheagreedwiththem。Theguardwasdismissed，andtheywaitedtoseewhatwouldhappen。Allthathappenedwasthatatdinner-timethecriminalcameout，and，notfindinghisguard，hewenttotheKing’skitchentofetchhisowndinner。Hetookwhatwasgivenhim，returnedtotheprison，shutthedooronhimself，andstayedinside。Nextdaythesamethingoccurred。Hewentforhisfoodatthepropertime；butasforrunningaway，hedidnotshowtheleastsignofit！Whatwastobedone？Theyconsideredthematteragain。
’Weshallhavetotellhimstraightout，’saidthey’thatwedonotwanttokeephim。’SotheMinisterofJusticehadhimbroughtbeforehim。
’Whydoyounotrunaway？’saidtheMinister。’Thereisnoguardtokeepyou。Youcangowhereyoulike，andtheKingwillnotmind。’
’IdaresaytheKingwouldnotmind，’repliedtheman，’butIhavenowheretogo。WhatcanIdo？Youhaveruinedmycharacterbyyoursentence，andpeoplewillturntheirbacksonme。Besides，Ihavegotoutofthewayofworking。Youhavetreatedmebadly。
Itisnotfair。Inthefirstplace，whenonceyousentencedmetodeathyououghttohaveexecutedme；butyoudidnotdoit。Thatisonething。Ididnotcomplainaboutthat。Thenyousentencedmetoimprisonmentforlifeandputaguardtobringmemyfood；butafteratimeyoutookhimawayagainandIhadtofetchmyownfood。
AgainIdidnotcomplain。Butnowyouactuallywantmetogoaway！Ican’tagreetothat。Youmaydoasyoulike，butIwon’tgoaway！’
Whatwastobedone？OncemoretheCouncilwassummoned。Whatcoursecouldtheyadopt？Themanwouldnotgo。Theyreflectedandconsidered。Theonlywaytogetridofhimwastoofferhimapension。AndsotheyreportedtotheKing。’Thereisnothingelseforit，’saidthey；’wemustgetridofhimsomehow。’
Thesumfixedwas600francs，andthiswasannouncedtotheprisoner。
’Well，’saidhe，’Idon’tmind，solongasyouundertaketopayitregularly。
OnthatconditionIamwillingtogo。’
Sothematterwassettled。Hereceivedone-thirdofhisannuityinadvance，andlefttheKing’sdominions。Itwasonlyaquarterofanhourbyrail；andheemigrated，andsettledjustacrossthefrontier，whereheboughtabitofland，startedmarket-gardening，andnowlivescomfortably。Healwaysgoesatthepropertimetodrawhispension。Havingreceivedit，hegoestothegamingtables，stakestwoorthreefrancs，sometimeswinsandsometimesloses，andthenreturnshome。Helivespeaceablyandwell。
Itisagoodthingthathedidnotcommithiscrimeinacountrywheretheydonotgrudgeexpensetocutaman’sheadoff，ortokeepinghiminprisonforlife。
