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Mouche accordingly triumphed over modern games, as all ancient things have ever triumphed in Brittany over novelties. While the rector was dealing the cards the baroness was asking the Chevalier du Halga the same questions which she had asked him the evening before about his health. The chevalier made it a point of honor to have new ailments.
He had divined in that old man an apostle of his own religion; he recognized in his soul the vestiges of an eternal love. "Have you loved many women in your life?" he asked him on the second occasion, when, as seamen say, they sailed in company along the mall. "Only one," replied Du Halga. "Was she free?" "No," exclaimed the chevalier. "Ah! how I suffered!
The Abbe Grimont endeavored to make out what was passing in the mother's mind. The Chevalier du Halga rubbed his hands. The two old maids were as lively as lizards.
"Mademoiselle de Pen-Hoel wants me to marry Charlotte, to save me from perdition," said Calyste, laughing. "I was on the mall when she and the Chevalier du Halga were talking about it. She can't see that it would be greater perdition for me to marry at my age " "It is written above," said the old maid, interrupting Calyste, "that I shall not die tranquil or happy.
Mademoiselle de Pen-Hoel's page went gravely to open the door, and presently the long, lean, methodically-clothed person of the Chevalier du Halga, former flag-captain to Admiral de Kergarouet, defined itself in black on the penumbra of the portico. "Welcome, chevalier!" cried Mademoiselle de Pen-Hoel. "The altar is raised," said the abbe.
Here's one hundred and four louis," cried Zephirine. "Is that enough?" "What is all this?" asked the Chevalier du Halga, who now came in, unable to understand the attitude of his old blind friend, holding out her petticoat which was full of gold coins. Mademoiselle de Pen-Hoel explained.
Remembering that the Chevalier du Halga had the reputation of having navigated in his youth the waters of gallantry, it came into Calyste's head to consult him. "What is the best way to send a letter secretly to one's mistress," he said to the old gentleman in a whisper.
That which, above all, terrified the baroness was to see a sentiment attaining, by the force of its own instinct, to the clear-sightedness of practised experience. Calyste's letter to Beatrix was such as the Chevalier du Halga, with his knowledge of the world, might have dictated.
At last, when mouche was over, he drew the Chevalier du Halga into the great salon, from which he sent away Mademoiselle de Pen-Hoel's page and Mariotte. "What does he want of the chevalier?" said old Zephirine, addressing her friend Jacqueline. "Calyste strikes me as half-crazy," replied Mademoiselle de Pen-Hoel. "He pays Charlotte no more attention than if she were a paludiere."
The viscountess, proud of her trip with the illustrious Camille Maupin, endeavored to explain to the assembled company the present condition of modern literature, and Camille's place in it. But the literary topic met the fate of whist; neither the du Guenics, nor the abbe, nor the Chevalier du Halga understood one word of it.
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