"Who? Morbleu! I myself, who ask them; I, who question you! Is there any need of making so much fuss about saying: 'I love this one better than that one?'"

"No one ever spoke to me so, monsieur, and when my dear mother was alive----"

"I am not talking about your mother. If she were here you probably would not receive visits from young men every morning. I see that you make the most of your liberty; don't take so much pains to play the prude!

Grimaces do not succeed with me. Come, sacrebleu! answer me!"

The stranger rose abruptly and walked toward Isaure. She, yielding to a thrill of fear caused by his approach, stepped back with a cry of alarm.

Instantly Vaillant, thinking that his mistress was menaced, sprang to his feet, and with the rapidity of a lightning flash leaped upon the stranger and seized his leg with his teeth.

"Well, well! call off your dog! Heavens and earth! Don't you see that he is biting me?"

Isaure called Vaillant, who made up his mind only with great reluctance to release the leg that he had seized, and returned to his mistress, growling, and keeping his flashing eyes fixed on the stranger.

"I beg pardon, monsieur," said Isaure, "but this faithful animal evidently thought you were threatening me."

"Morbleu! why do you shriek because I approach you? Do you think that I am going to eat you? What fools these girls are! You have a guardian there who does not understand joking; the rascal--his teeth went into my flesh. If he should receive your young men in the same way, I fancy that they would not come so often. But you don't shriek when they come near, do you?--Adieu, my pretty discreet one! Oh! I shall soon find out what you refuse to tell me to-day! Yes, I shall find out all about you. I do not believe that you are a witch; but I do not think it natural that you should talk like the ladies from the city, that you should live alone with your flocks, and that you should be rich enough to entertain for nothing all those who stop at your house. There is something underneath it, and I shall find out what it is; for as I have told you, it is not easy to deceive me, and I believe neither in the innocence which runs about fields, nor in Platonic love, nor in innate knowledge. Adieu."

The stranger took his hat and stick and walked slowly from the house, with a contemptuous glance at the girl. Isaure felt that she breathed more freely when she saw that man take his departure, and Vaillant, who had not ceased to growl since his brief struggle with the stranger, went to the door to look after him, and did not reenter the house until he was entirely out of sight.

XVIII

NEW CHARACTERS.--A GRAND FeTE AT LA ROCHE-NOIRE.

At last the great day had arrived on which Robineau proposed to display all the magnificence of a Caliph, although his fortune did not approach in size that of his highness's most insignificant pacha. But, after living for many years with the strictest economy, to become the owner of a chateau, to hear oneself called monseigneur, or Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, to have nine servants at one's orders, and to be feted, sought after, flattered by men, and ogled and cajoled by women, is more than is necessary to make one lose one's head, especially when one has very little common sense and a great deal of vanity. So that Robineau had almost lost his head; he did not calculate, he did not reflect that the manner of life which he proposed to lead was infinitely beyond the income that he had inherited; he gave orders recklessly. But he was happy, he was fairly swimming in joy, and that is always something. How many people there are who, even with great wealth, can never succeed in being happy.

Robineau awoke very early in the morning and deliberated upon his costume; that is an important point, especially when one wishes to find a wife; for a woman who has received a fine education will never consent to take for a husband a man who does not know how to dress with taste.

The first impressions are often hard to destroy: a man whose collar is too high, or whose coat sleeves are too short, will create a very bad effect in a salon, at first. At all events, that is what Robineau said to himself, and he was not absolutely wrong. But, if the ladies would pay strict attention to the subject, they would observe that it is not always the men who have the most intellect who tie their cravats best.

Francois brought to his master the new clothes which he had ordered from Paris. He spread them out on the bed, and Robineau hesitated between the wholly black costume and the white trousers, which were more seasonable.

Monsieur Ferulus entered the apartment at that moment; the librarian, man of business and butler was already in full dress, although he wore the same coat as always; but to improve it a little, he had had steel b.u.t.tons of the size of a five-franc piece sewn on, which, when Monsieur Ferulus stood in the sun, cast a reflection that made it impossible to see the rest of his person. Moreover, he had caused to be fixed upon his shoulders great bunches of black ribbon, the very long ends of which fell down his back, after manner of a queue.

Despite his gala costume, Monsieur Ferulus's face was longer than usual, and his eyes were red and fatigued.

"Parbleu! my dear Ferulus, you arrive most opportunely," said Robineau; "you must help me in the choice of my costume; ought I to adopt the full suit of black, or may I venture to wear the white trousers?"

"The full suit of black is the proper thing, monseigneur; to dress otherwise would be a crime of _lese-ceremony_! Remember, monseigneur, that this day will mark an epoch: you represent in your person all the chatelaines who have possessed this domain! If you were in China, you would dress in yellow; in England you might dress in red; in Austria, in white; in Prussia, in blue; and in Africa, you might be practically naked, except that you could paint some very pretty things on your body and legs and arms; but as the French nation is the gayest of all, it has specially adopted black for weddings, for burials and for dancing."

"You hear, Francois; prepare the full black costume.--Bless my soul! you are brilliant, Monsieur Ferulus! You have some very fine b.u.t.tons there!"

"Are they not, monseigneur? They descended to me from my father's granduncle, who wore them in a minuet which he danced before Madame de Maintenon; you can understand how highly I prize them; they are the most precious heritage which my ancestors have left to me! I use them only on great occasions; for example, at my distribution of prizes, I give them and nothing else to my pupils--but on condition that they bring them back to me the next day."

"And what is this bunch of ribbons which you have on each shoulder?"

"That is a mark of dignity, monseigneur; it means that I am worthy to eat at your table with the n.o.blest society. The pages used to wear them under King Dagobert."

"In that case you did very well to put them on.--But what is the matter with you, Monsieur Ferulus? You look to me very pale this morning."

"Monseigneur, it is because--I had my bed warmed----"

"What! already?"

"The tower in which I lodge is very damp, monseigneur; however, it did not succeed so well as I hoped; I trust that breakfast will make me feel better. But they have just brought your servants' livery; it is superb--dark green, with apricot trousers and orange tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs."

"Yes, that is my idea; can you see it at a distance?"

"At a great distance, monseigneur. I must tell you, however, that that clown of an Olitor--I mean your gardener--refuses to wear it, on the pretext that it makes him look like a parrot."

"That rascal is always rebelling about something! Francois, go to him and order him in my name to put on his livery under penalty of being turned out of my garden."

Alfred and Edouard were also busying themselves with their toilet; although they did not, like the master of the house, propose to make conquests, the two young Parisians desired to appear to advantage before the large company which was to a.s.semble at the chateau; and then too, one is never sorry to please, even when one has no desire to love.

Everything was arranged for the festivities. Two greased poles had been set up in the courtyard, at the top of which were fastened the _Syntax_ and the _Rudiments_. The colored lanterns were strung in the garden paths; the arena was arranged for the gymnastic sports; and the three musicians who were to compose the orchestra, the leader being blind, had arrived, armed with two violins and a clarinet. The servants ran hither and thither in the midst of it all, and the new livery did in fact give them some resemblance to the birds of which Vincent had spoken. However, in order to avoid dismissal, the gardener had made up his mind to put on his costume with the rest; Monsieur Ferulus was careful always to stand in the sun, in order to make his b.u.t.tons shine more brightly.

The clock struck twelve. Robineau was in full dress; all the preparations were made, but no one had yet arrived of the numerous company expected. However, Francois and the two scullions fired three musket shots; and Robineau, who was in the salon with his friends, ran out upon the balcony, saying:

"What is that?"

"It is the signal to announce that the fete is beginning, monseigneur,"

said Francois.

"Idiot! do you suppose that the fete is going to begin before anyone has arrived?"

"Why, monseigneur, Monsieur Ferulus told us to fire all together at noon."

"_Non errabis!_" cried Ferulus, appearing in the courtyard; "I told you to fire at noon, but it was understood that it should be _coram populo_, that is to say, before the company. Reload your weapons, therefore; you must give a second signal."

While the servants reloaded their weapons, shrieks arose from one corner of the courtyard. Everybody hurried in that direction to ascertain the cause. They found the leader of the orchestra sprawling on the steps of the staircase leading to the cellar, down which he had jumped at the report of the muskets, which he believed to be aimed at him. They picked up the poor man, who had suffered nothing worse than a few bruises, and placed him on the stand which was set up in the courtyard, ordering his two companions not to leave him, which they promised only on condition that six bottles of wine should be placed under the bench.

Half an hour pa.s.sed, and no one appeared. Robineau began to be impatient, Monsieur Ferulus ran about, telling each one again and again what he had to do, and as he spoke, glancing furtively at his b.u.t.tons.

Robineau called for an opera gla.s.s and went up with his friends to the top of the South Tower. From there they could see the road for a long distance, and Monsieur de la Roche-Noire kept pa.s.sing the gla.s.s to his friends, saying, like Bluebeard's wife: "Do you see anybody coming?"

At last they espied a horseman riding toward the chateau; Robineau turned the gla.s.s upon him and cried:

"He is coming here; I recognize him; it is Monsieur Berlingue, a most agreeable man, with an extraordinary memory; he has already told me all the scandal of the town; he is a delightful person! He goes everywhere, even where he is not invited."

Monsieur Berlingue's horse advanced at a very slow trot, but still he did advance. Robineau went down from the tower with his friends to welcome the newcomer, and Francois and the scullions, seeing the horseman approach, took aim at him, thinking that the time had come to fire; but Monsieur Ferulus checked them in time, and Monsieur Berlingue dismounted and entered the chateau, glancing all about with malicious curiosity.

The newcomer was a short man of fifty years, who was not very stylishly dressed, but whose sneering face seemed to be constantly seeking something to make fun of. He walked toward Robineau and held out his hand, staring at the two young men who were in the salon; and even before he had asked the master of the house how he was, he had taken an inventory of everything in the room.

"Monsieur Berlingue," said Robineau, "you are very amiable, for you have come at last! But the other gentlemen and ladies--no one comes and it is nearly one o'clock! And yet I asked them to come early. I had arranged some little surprises for the ladies."

"Monsieur de la Roche-Noire," replied Monsieur Berlingue in a shrill voice, shouting as if he never spoke to any except deaf people, "it is a principle of mine to be prompt, to keep my word.--Are these gentlemen your friends from Paris? Very happy to make their acquaintance.--But, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, if you want to have company at noon, you must invite them for nine o'clock, for here--You have had this part of the chateau repaired, I see--here, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, we go beyond the fashion: in Paris, people keep you waiting one hour; in the provinces they keep you waiting four.--Is this your livery? It is a new style.--And then the ladies, married or single! do you suppose that they can finish their toilet at noon?--You still have some furniture that's rather old-fashioned; you must change it.--In the first place, the women in the provinces are greater flirts than those in Paris!--Your coat fits you perfectly.--You expect Mesdames de Moulinet, Mesdemoiselles Bretonneau, the La Pincerie family, Gerard the manufacturer's wife, and the notary's wife--Parbleu! If those ladies are all here within two hours, you will be very lucky.--Ah! greased poles in your courtyard!

That is charming! It is an entirely new idea!"