e it
reaches the woods of Monnet.

They had scarcely disappeared when a notable change took place in the
demeanor of our market-man. He stopped his horse, straightened up, put
the mouthpiece of a tiny trumpet to his lips, and blew three times. A
species of groom emerged from the woods which line the road, leading
a gentleman's horse by the bridle. The market-man rapidly removed his
blouse, discarded his linen trousers, and appeared in vest and breeches
of buckskin, and top boots. He searched in his cart, drew forth a
package which he opened, shook out a green hunting coat with gold
braidings, put it on, and over it a dark-brown overcoat; took from
the servant's hands a hat which the latter presented him, and which
harmonized with his elegant costume, made the man screw his spurs to
his boots, and sprang upon his horse with the lightness and skill of an
experienced horseman.

"To-night at seven," he said to the groom, "be on the road between
Saint-Just and Ceyzeriat. You will meet Morgan. Tell him that he _whom
he knows of_ has gone to Macon, but that I shall be there before him."

Then, without troubling himself about his cart and vegetables, which he
left in his servant's charge, the ex-marketman, who was none other than
our old acquaintance Montbar, turned his horse's head toward the Monnet
woods, and set out at a gallop. His mount was not a miserable post hack,
like that on which Roland was riding. On the contrary, it was a blooded
horse, so that Montbar easily overtook the two riders, and passed them
on the road between the woods of Monnet and Polliat. The horse, except
for a short stop at Saint-Cyr-sur-Menthon, did the twenty-eight or
thirty miles between Bourg and Macon, without resting, in three hours.

Arrived at Macon, Montbar dismounted at the Hotel de la Poste, the only
one which at that time was fitted to receive guests of distinction. For
the rest, from the manner in which Montbar was received it was evident
that the host was dealing with an old acquaintance.

"Ah! is it you, Monsieur de Jayat?" said the host. "We were wondering
yesterday what had become of you. It's more than a month since we've
seen you in these parts."

"Do you think it's as long as that, friend?" said the young man,
affecting to drop his r's after the fashion of the day. "Yes, on
my honor, that's so! I've been with friends, the Trefforts and the
Hautecourts. You know those gentlemen by name, don't you?"

"By name, and in person.