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At a concert given by Madame de Montcornet toward the close of the winter of 1833, a man of rising fame in literature and politics appeared in her salon, brought there by one of the wittiest, but also one of the laziest writers of that epoch, Emile Blondet, celebrated behind closed doors, highly praised by journalists, but unknown beyond the barriers.
General Montcornet was then speaking to the mayor; after a few moments' conversation in a low tone, the latter, addressing the delinquents, who expected to sleep in prison and were a good deal surprised to find themselves free, said to them: "My friends, thank Monsieur le comte. You owe your release to him.
When Sibilet was at some distance the general said in a low voice to his bailiff: "Well, my dear Michaud, what is it; why did you make me that sign?" "You have an enemy within the walls, general, yet you tell him plans which you ought not to confide even to the secret police." "I share your suspicions, my dear friend," replied Montcornet, "but I don't intend to commit the same fault twice over.
"To be sure; I forgot that the Minister of War had commissioned him to erect a monument to one of our late customers. Ah! the house has supplied many an uniform to General Montcornet; he soon blackened them with the smoke of cannon. A brave man, he was! and he paid on the nail."
"We shall see," replied the count. Fatal word! The verb "to see" has no future tense for politicians. At the moment, Montcornet was considering another difficulty, which seemed to him more pressing. He needed an alter ego to do his work in the mayor's office during the months he lived in Paris.
By advice of Madame Soudry, who was the oracle of the little town, the worthy man had taken his daughter with him; and the sight of her had had a favorable effect upon the Comte de Montcornet.
The architect chosen by Madame de Montcornet for the restoration of Les Aigues had taken care to put the furniture of this room in keeping with its original decoration. At the time of which we write fashion had not yet given an exaggerated value to the relics of past ages.
The Marshal Prince de Wissembourg, Minister of War, and President of the Committee for the subscriptions to the monument of Marshal Montcornet, called a meeting, at which it was decided that the execution of the work should be placed in Steinbock's hands.
When the general left that room after their conference, he wrote to his wife that he was starting for Paris and should be absent a week. We shall see, after the execution of certain measures suggested by Baron Bourlac, the attorney-general, whether the secret advice he gave to Montcornet was wise, and whether in conforming to it the count and Les Aigues were enabled to escape the "Evil grudge."
"There is nothing more terrible than the revolt of a sheep," said de Marsay. "It would be frightful to let us leave with this horrible picture in our memory," said Madame de Montcornet. "I shall dream of it " "And what was the punishment of Monsieur de Marsay's 'First'?" said Lord Dudley, smiling. "When the English are in jest, their foils have the buttons on," said Blondet.
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