“And is not Cathelineau a worthy gentleman?”
forgetting in her enthusiasm that she was taking the
cause of one who was being spoken of as her lover.
“Oh, indeed he is; if valour, honesty, and honour,
if trust in God, and forgetfulness of self, if humanity
and generosity constitute a gentleman, then is Cathelineau
the prince of gentlemen: but do not, pray do
not mistake me, Henri: a lover of scenery admires
the tops of distant mountains, and gazes on their
snowy peaks with a pleasure almost amounting to awe;
but no one seeks to build his house on the summit:
so do I admire the virtues, the devotion, the courage
of Cathelineau; but my admiration is mixed with no
love which would make me wish to join my lot with
his. I only say, that despite his birth and former
low condition, he is worthy of any woman’s love.”
Henri did not quite like his sister’s enthusiasm,
though he hardly knew why it displeased him.
He had thought of Cathelineau only as a soldier and
a General, and had found nothing in him that he did
not approve of; but he felt that be could not welcome
him as his darling sister’s husband; “if
Adolphe should have prophesied rightly,” said
he, to himself as he went from his sister’s
room to his own chamber, “but no! whatever her
feelings may be, she is too good to do anything that
would displease me.”
CHAPTER IV
MICHAEL STEIN
On the Sunday morning, after Henri’s return
to Durbelliere, Jacques Chapeau, with Jean and Peter
Stein, left the chateau very early, and started for
Echanbroignes. Word had been sent to the old smith
by some of the neighbours, who had been at Saumur,
that his two sons were safe and sound, and that they
had behaved well at the siege, and a message at the
same time reached Annot, informing her that Jacques
meant to spend his next Sunday at the village; the
party was therefore expected, and great preparations
were made for a fete at Echanbroignes. The heroes
of that place considered that they had somewhat celebrated
themselves; in the first place, on final inquiry,
it appeared, that not one person from the village,
who was at all able to go to Saumur, had neglected
to do so. In the next place, many of the villagers
were among the number of the red scarfs, and they
claimed to themselves the privilege of being considered
peculiarly valiant and particularly loyal; and lastly,
though many of them had gone to Saumur, without arms,
every man on his return had a musket with him, which
the old men and women regarded as absolute trophies,
taken by each man individually from some awful rebel
whom he had slain in single combat. There were
to be great rejoicings, therefore, at Echanbroignes,
which were postponed for the arrival of Chapeau and
the two Stems.
The old smith was very angry at his sons’ behaviour.
As Chapeau had said, he was a very black man, and
when he was angered, it wasn’t easy to smooth
him; the operation, however, was attempted by some
of his neighbours, and though they were not altogether
successful, they succeeded in making the old man a
little proud of his family.
