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In the front, towering above his captains, rides General Villivicencio, veteran of 1814-15, and, with the gracious pomp of the old-time gentleman, lifts his cocked hat, and bows, and bows. Madame Délicieuse's balcony was a perfect maze of waving kerchiefs. The General looked up for the woman of all women; she was not there.
'What! I said, 'think you General Villivicencio will not rather be the very man most certain to respect a son who has the courage to be his own master? Oh, what does he want with a poor fool of a son who will do only as he says? You think he will love him less for healing instead of killing? Mesdemoiselles, you do not know that noble soldier!"
"For what was that cheer?" "Why, did you not see? General Villivicencio cast a kiss to his son."
A matter of so great importance" Madame's little brown aunt gave a faint cough from a dim corner of the room. "'Tis a beautiful night," she remarked, and stepped out on the balcony. Then the General asked his question. It was a very long question, or, maybe, repeated twice or thrice; for it was fully ten minutes before he moved out of the room, saying good-evening. Ah! old General Villivicencio.
How have you blushed and you his father! But why did you not ask me? I could have told you: 'Sir, your son is not an apothecary; not one of these ugly things but has helped him on in the glorious path of discovery; discovery, General your son known in Europe as a scientific discoverer! Ah-h! the blind people say, 'How is that, that General Villivicencio should be dissatisfied with his son?
The little maidens whom poor parentage has doomed to sit upon street door-sills and nurse their infant brothers have a game of "choosing" the beautiful ladies who sweep by along the pavement; but in Rue Royale there was no choosing; every little damsel must own Madame Délicieuse or nobody, and as that richly adorned and regal favorite of old General Villivicencio came along they would lift their big, bold eyes away up to her face and pour forth their admiration in a universal "Ah-h-h-h!"
I go to settle it myself." Dr. Mossy moved quickly between his father and the door. General Villivicencio stood before him utterly bowed down. "What will you?" sadly demanded the old man. "Papa," said the son, with much tenderness, "I cannot permit you. Fifteen years we were strangers, and yesterday were friends. You must not leave me so. I will even settle this quarrel for you. You must let me.
"Drops the de Villivicencio? but I think the de Villivicencio drops him, ho, ho, ho, diable!" Next to the residence of good Dr. Mossy towered the narrow, red-brick-front mansion of young Madame Délicieuse, firm friend at once and always of those two antipodes, General Villivicencio and Dr. Mossy.
The staff of General Villivicencio were a faithful few who had not bowed the knee to any abomination of the Américains, nor sworn deceitfully to any species of compromise; their beloved city was presently to pass into the throes of an election, and this band, heroically unconscious of their feebleness, putting their trust in "re-actions" and like delusions, resolved to make one more stand for the traditions of their fathers.
"Yes, his father has plenty." "Certainly, and gives it freely. But intends his son shall see none of it." "His son? You dare not so much as mention him." "Well, well, how strange! But they can never agree not even upon their name. Is not that droll? a man named General Villivicencio, and his son, Dr. Mossy!" "Oh, that is nothing; it is only that the Doctor drops the de Villivicencio."
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