hirty-five to thirty-eight years of
age, with bushy hair that was turning gray, and mustaches as black as
ebony. His eyes were of that wonderful shade of Indian eyes, verging
on maroon. He was formerly a captain of dragoons, admirably built for
struggle, whether physical or moral, his muscles indicating strength,
and his face, obstinacy. For the rest, a noble bearing, great elegance
of manners, scented like a dandy, carrying, either from caprice or
luxury, a bottle of English smelling-salts, or a silver-gilt vinaigrette
containing the most subtle perfumes.

Montbar and Adler, whose real names were unknown, like those of d'Assas
and Morgan, were commonly called by the Company "the inseparables."
Imagine Damon and Pythias, Euryalus and Nisus, Orestes and Pylades at
twenty-two--one joyous, loquacious, noisy, the other melancholy,
silent, dreamy; sharing all things, dangers, money, mistresses; one the
complement of the other; each rushing to all extremes, but forgetting
self when in peril to watch over the other, like the Spartan youths on
the sacred legions--and you will form an idea of Montbar and Adler.

It is needless to say that all three were Companions of Jehu. They had
been convoked, as Morgan suspected, on business of the Company.

On entering the room, Morgan went straight to the pretended bearer of
despatches and shook hands with him.

"Ah! the dear friend," said the latter, with a stiff movement, showing
that the best rider cannot do a hundred and fifty miles on post-hacks
with impunity. "You are taking it easy, you Parisians. Hannibal at
Capua slept on rushes and thorns compared to you. I only glanced at
the ballroom in passing, as becomes a poor cabinet courier bearing
despatches from General Massena to the citizen First Consul; but it
seemed to me you were a fine lot of victims! Only, my poor friends, you
will have to bid farewell to all that for the present; disagreeable,
unlucky, exasperating, no doubt, but the House of Jehu before all."

"My dear Hastier--" began Morgan.

"Stop!" cried Hastier. "No proper names, if you please, gentlemen. The
Hastiers are an honest family in Lyons, doing business, it is said, on
the Place des Terreaux, from father to son, and would be much humiliated
to learn that their heir had become a cabinet courier, and rode the
highways with the national pack on his back. Lecoq as much as you
please, but not Hastier. I don't know Hastier; and you, gentlemen,"
continued the young