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"And who is that with Father Jerome who is the stranger, M. Chapeau?" said one and another of them, crowding round Jacques for it soon got abroad among them, that Jacques Chapeau had seen the stranger in some of his former military movements in La Vendee. Chapeau was walking beside his mistress, and was not at all sorry of the opportunity of shewing off. "Who is he, indeed?" said Jacques.
His majesty was arrayed in a magnificent military uniform, stiff with gold lace and embroidery, while his shaven crown was concealed by a huge chapeau bras, waving with ostrich plumes. There was one slight blemish, however, in his appearance.
"We must run fast, friends," said Chapeau to his allies from Durbelliere and Echanbroignes, "for the first men who reach Varin, will retake 'Marie Jeanne; we will have a share in her, as well as the men of St. Florent."
"I will be his brother now," said Arthur; "he shall love me in his place." "Ah! M. Arthur," said Chapeau, "his heart is large enough to love us both; but when he hears how nobly you behaved last night, how you stood by Mademoiselle Agatha, and protected her, you will be his real brother indeed."
It's a poor place," he added, speaking to Chapeau; "but the truth is, he don't choose to have more comforts about him than what are enjoyed by the poorest soldier in his army." "We won't think any the worse of him for that," said Chapeau. "We're badly enough off ourselves, sometimes besides, your Captain is a very old friend of M. Henri." "An old friend of whose?" said Plume.
Chapeau now knocked at the door, and brought farther tidings. The Mad Captain and all his troop had returned from Antrames to Laval, and had just now entered the town. "Our men are shaking the Bretons by the hand," said Chapeau, "and wondering at their long hair and rough skins.
Brotherly love sometimes depends on circumstances. "Am I not a man and brother?" cries John from his native shore. "Certainly," we respond. Pass round the hat let us take up a contribution for the conversion of the poor heathen. The coins clink thickly in the bottom of the charitable chapeau. We return home, feeling ourselves raised an inch higher heavenward.
The kitchen, however, was filled with peasants, and in them Momont found ready listeners and warm admirers. Both Chapeau and the priest had spent the greater portion of the night in collecting what they considered would be a sufficient number of men to enable them to attack, with any chance of success, the republican soldiers who had taken possession of Durbelliere.
Chapeau did look at the girl, and all the tenderness of his heart rose into his eyes, as the flickering light of the fire showed him her tattered and draggled dress. "Thank God! the worst of it is over now, Michael. You're safe now, at any rate, from those blood-hounds; and when we reach Laval, we shall all have plenty." "And where's this Laval, M. Chapeau?"
The officer, who was now seated in the shop, his wife and daughter, and his assistant, began at once to explain to him the service which he was required to perform; and Chapeau, bowing low to the compliments which the stranger paid to him, declared with his accustomed mixture of politeness and frank good nature, that he would be happy to tell anything that he knew.
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