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Florent," said the colonel addressing the crowd, "I am most reluctant to order the soldiers to fire upon the inhabitants of the town; but unless you at once restore the three men who were sent over here on duty, and give up the man, Peter Berrier, who has been drawn as a conscript, I will do so at once."
"Well, it's quite nice to see you alive," smiled Cara as they kissed each other. "I really thought you were going to drown before my very eyes the other day." "Instead of which I've turned up again like a bad penny!" "Thanks to Mr. Coventry. If he hadn't chanced to be taking a constitutional in the direction of Berrier Cove that morning, I don't know what would have happened."
He immediately left us, and Madame d'Amblimont said, "I'll lay a wager he is going to communicate my idea to M. de Choiseul." He returned very shortly, and, M. Berrier having left the room, he said to Madame de Pompadour, "A singular thought has entered d'Amblimont's head." "What absurdity now?" said Madame. "Not so great an absurdity neither," said he.
"Then, friends, let me tell you, you have not heard much of the truth, although M. de Lescure's own man did see the man who came direct from St. Florent; I think I may say, without boasting, and I believe Monsieur the postillion upstairs will not be inclined to contradict me, that without me, there would have been no revolt. "No revolt without you? No revolt without Peter Berrier?
At any rate, Cathelineau had not advised a retreat, for there stood Peter Berrier prominent in the front of the group a little pale to be sure, and perhaps rather uneasy in his attitude; but still evidently prepared to bear the brunt of that day's proceeding. He was not going to run away, or he would long since have started.
"Now, Peter, run to the stable for your life; my horse is there and M. de Lescure's bring them both. They are both saddled. Run my friend; a moment lost now will cost a hundred lives." It was Peter Berrier to whom he spoke, and in spite of his evil treatment at Durbelliere, Peter ran for the horses, as though he was running for the King's crown.
M. Berrier added, "I think it my duty to tell Your Majesty that this lady passes for a very intriguing person." "I believe," replied the King, "that it is not without deserving it that she has got that character." Madame de Pompadour had many vexations in the midst of all her grandeur.
Peter Berrier felt that he was ill-used after all that he had gone through for his King and his country; he sat apart for the rest of the evening, and meditated whether he would go over to the republicans, and bring an army down upon Durbelliere, or whether he would more nobly revenge himself by turning out a more enterprising royalist than even the postillion himself.
He could not bear the aristocratic foppery of that Cathelineau. "And were you a conscript yourself, Peter Berrier?" said Jacques Chapeau. "Of course I was," said Peter. "Why, haven't you heard what the revolt of St. Florent was about?" "Well; we have heard something about it," said Momont; "but we didn't exactly hear your name mentioned."
"Peter Berrier is a free man," said Foret, "and declines going with you; and as for your three soldiers, they have fired at and killed or wounded two inhabitants of the town they at any rate shall be brought before the mayor, before they are given up."
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