CHAPTER VIII.
THE GASCON.
We dare not affirm that Dame Fournichon was as discreet as she hadpromised to be, for she interrogated the first soldier whom she saw passas to the name of the captain who had conducted the review. The soldier,more cautious than she, asked her why she wished to know.
"Because he has just been here," she replied, "and one likes to know towhom one has been talking."
The soldier laughed. "The captain who conducted the review would nothave entered this hotel," said he.
"Why not; is he too great for that?"
"Perhaps so."
"Well, but it is not for himself that he wanted the hotel."
"For whom then?"
"For his friends."
"He would not lodge his friends here, I am sure."
"Peste! why, who can he be, then?"
"Well, my good woman, he who conducted the review is simply Monsieur leDuc Nogaret de Lavalette d'Epernon, peer of France, and colonel-generalof infantry. What do you say to that?"
"That if it was he, he did me great honor."
"Did you hear him say 'parfandious'?"
"Oh! yes."
We may now judge if the 26th of October was impatiently expected. On theevening of the 25th a man entered, bearing a heavy bag, which he placedon Fournichon's table.
"It is the price of the repast ordered for to-morrow," said he.
"At how much a head?"
"At six livres."
"Will they have only one meal here?"
"That is all."
"Has the captain found them a lodging, then?"
"It appears so," said the messenger, who went, and declined to answerany more questions.
At last the much-desired day arrived; half-past twelve had just struckwhen some cavaliers stopped at the door of the hotel. One, who appearedto be their chief, came with two well-mounted lackeys. Each of themproduced the seal of Cleopatra's head, and were received with all sortsof courtesies, especially the young man with the lackeys. Nevertheless,excepting this young man, they all seemed timid and preoccupied. Most ofthem dispersed, however, until supper-time, either to swell the crowd atthe execution of Salcede, or to see Paris.
About two o'clock, others began to arrive. One man came in alone,without a hat, a cane in his hand, and swearing at Paris, where he saidthe thieves were so adroit that they had stolen his hat as he had passedthrough a crowd, without his being able to see who had taken it.However, he said, it was his own fault, for wearing a hat ornamentedwith such a superb diamond. At four o'clock, forty people had arrived.
"Is it not strange," said Fournichon to his wife, "they are allGascons?"
"Well, what of that? The captain said they were all countrymen, and heis a Gascon. M. d'Epernon is from Toulouse."
"Then you still believe it was M. d'Epernon?"
"Did he not say three times the famous 'parfandious'?"
Very soon the five other Gascons arrived; the number of guests wascomplete. Never was such surprise painted on so many faces; for an hournothing was heard but "saudioux," "mordioux!" and "cap de Bious!" andsuch noisy joy, that it seemed to the Fournichons that all Poitou andLanguedoc were collected in their room. Some knew, and greeted eachother.
"Is it not singular to find so many Gascons here?" asked one.
"No," replied Perducas de Pincornay, "the sign is tempting for men ofhonor."
"Ah! is it you?" said St. Maline, the gentleman with the lackeys, "youhave not yet explained to me what you were about to do, when the crowdseparated us."
"What was that?" asked Pincornay, reddening.
"How it happens that I met you on the road between Angouleme and Angerswithout a hat, as you are now?"
"It seems to interest you, monsieur?"
"Ma foi! yes. Poitiers is far from Paris, and you came from beyondPoitiers."
"Yes, from St. Andre de Cubsac."
"And without a hat?"
"Oh! it is very simple. My father has two magnificent horses, and he isquite capable of disinheriting me for the accident that has happened toone of them."
"What is that?"
"I was riding one of them when it took fright at the report of a gunthat was fired close to me, and ran away; it made for the bank of theDordogne and plunged in."
"With you?"
"No; luckily I had time to slip off, or I should have been drowned withhim."
"Ah! then the poor beast was drowned?"
"Pardioux! you know the Dordogne--half a league across."
"And then?"
"Then I resolved not to return home, but to go away as far as possiblefrom my father's anger."
"But your hat?"
"Diable! my hat had fallen."
"Like you."
"I did not fall; I slipped off."
"But your hat?"
"Ah! my hat had fallen. I sought for it, being my only resource, as Ihad come out without money."
"But how could your hat be a resource?"
"Saudioux! it was a great one, for I must tell you that the plume ofthis hat was fastened by a diamond clasp, that his majesty the emperorCharles V. gave to my grandfather, when, on his way from Spain toFlanders, he stopped at our castle."
"Ah! ah! and you have sold the clasp, and the hat with it. Then, mydear friend, you ought to be the richest of us all, and you should havebought another glove; your hands are not alike; one is as white as awoman's, and the other as black as a negro's."
"But listen; as I turned to seek my hat I saw an enormous crow seizehold of it."
"Of your hat!"
"Or rather of the clasp; attracted by the glitter, and in spite of mycries, he flew away with it, and I saw it no more. So that, overwhelmedby this double loss, I did not dare to return home, but came to seek myfortune in Paris."
"Good!" cried a third, "the wind has changed into a crow. I heard youtell M. de Loignac that the wind had carried it away while you werereading a letter from your mistress."
"Now," cried St. Maline, "I have the honor of knowing M. d'Aubigne, who,though a brave soldier, writes well, and I recommend you to tell him thehistory of your hat; he will make a charming story of it."
Several stifled laughs were heard.
"Ah! gentlemen," cried the Gascon, "do you laugh at me?"
They turned away to laugh again.
Perducas threw a glance around him, and saw a young man near thefireplace hiding his face in his hands. He thought it was to laugh, and,going up to him, struck him on the shoulder, saying--
"Eh! monsieur, if you laugh, at all events show your face."
The young man looked up; it was our friend Ernanton de Carmainges.
"I beg you will leave me alone," said he, "I was not thinking of you."
Pincornay turned away, grumbling; but at this moment an officer entered.
"M. de Loignac!" cried twenty voices.
At this name, known through all Gascony, every one rose and keptsilence.