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Perducas de Pincornay had bought from some Jew a gold chain as thick as a cable; Pertinax de Montcrabeau was all bows and embroidery: he had bought his costume from a merchant who had purchased it of a gentleman who had been wounded by robbers. It was rather stained with blood and dirt, it was true, but he had managed to clean it tolerably.
Maline, "we have our oath, and M. de Carmainges is so strict that he will not infringe discipline; we cannot draw our swords against each other; therefore, a light, Montcrabeau, a light!" Montcrabeau descended, and in five minutes returned with a light, which he offered to St. Maline. "No, no," said he; "keep it; I may, perhaps, want both hands." And he made a step forward.
"Supper!" cried M. de Loignac; "and from this moment let all be friends, and love each other like brothers." "Hum!" said St. Maline. "That would be difficult," added Ernanton. "See," cried Pincornay, "they laugh at me because I have no hat, and they say nothing to M. Montcrabeau, who is going to supper in a cuirass of the time of the Emperor Pertinax, from whom it probably came.
"I shall have," De Loignac continued, "for smaller offenses lighter punishments, as imprisonment, for instance. For this time, I spare the lives of M. de Montcrabeau and M. de Pincornay, because they probably acted in ignorance, and shall only enforce against them my third method of punishment a fine. You have received one thousand livres apiece, gentlemen; you will each return one hundred."
At present I do not know the capacities of any one, but I shall watch and learn. Now, go, gentlemen; and M. de Montcrabeau and M. de Pincornay, you will remember that I expect your fines to be paid to-morrow." They all retired except Ernanton, who lingered behind. "Do you wish anything?" asked De Loignac.
"Not before we have been admitted to the honor of saluting the person for whom you desert our company. M. de Montcrabeau," continued he, "go down and come back with a light." "M. de Montcrabeau," cried Ernanton, "if you do that, remember it will be a personal offense to me." Montcrabeau hesitated. "Good," replied St.
Maline, "we are compatriots, and we are both in the king's service; do not let us quarrel. You are a brave man, and I would give you my hand if I could. What would you have? I am envious it is my nature. M. de Chalabre, or M. de Montcrabeau, would not have made me angry; it was your superior merit. Console yourself, therefore, for I can do nothing against you, and unluckily your merit remains.
See what it is to have defensive arms." "Gentlemen," cried Montcrabeau, "I take it off; so much the worse for those who prefer seeing me with offensive instead of defensive arms;" and he gave his cuirass to his lackey, a man about fifty years of age. "Peace! peace!" cried De Loignac, "and let us go to table." Meanwhile the lackey whispered to Pertinax, "And am I not to sup?
"You live," continued De Loignac, "with a sort of license which I must repress. Those who find the terms too hard will return; I can easily replace them; but I warn you that justice will be done among us, secretly and expeditiously. Traitors will be punished with death on the spot." Montcrabeau nearly fainted, and Pertinax grew paler than ever.
"I have no time." "Not even to hear a secret?" "I hear a hundred every day." "But this concerns the life of his majesty," said Poulain, in a low voice. "Oh! oh! then come into my cabinet." M. D'Epernon, in traversing the antechamber, addressed himself to one of the gentlemen who stood there. "What is your name, monsieur?" said he. "Pertinax de Montcrabeau, monsieur."
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