"I should say so; besides, it's the opinion of a good many other people,
too. As for me, if I were a judge, I'd never in the world condemn them."

"Perhaps you would drink to their health?"

"Of course, if the wine was good."

"I dare you to do it," said Montbar, emptying the last of the second
bottle into Antoine's glass.

"You know the proverb?" said the postilion.

"What is it?"

"Never defy a fool to commit his folly. To the health of the Companions
of Jehu."

"Amen!" responded Montbar.

"And the five louis?" asked Antoine, putting his glass on the table.

"There they are."

"Thank you; you shall have the holsters on your saddle; but take my
advice and don't put pistols in 'em; or if you do, follow Pere Jerome's
example--he's the conductor of the Geneva diligence--and put powder and
no balls in 'em."

And with that philanthropic advice, the postilion took his leave, and
went down the stairway singing a postilion's song in a vinous voice.

Montbar followed the song conscientiously through two verses, then, as
the voice died away in the distance, he was obliged to forego the rest
of the song, however interesting he may have found it.

CHAPTER XLII. THE CHAMBERY MAIL-COACH

The next day, at five in the afternoon, Antoine, anxious, no doubt, not
to be late, was in the courtyard of the Hotel de la Poste, harnessing
the three horses which were to relay the mail-coach.

Shortly after, the coach rumbled into the courtyard at a gallop, and was
pulled up under the windows of a room close to the servants' stairway,
which had seemed greatly to occupy Antoine's attention. If any one had
paid attention to so slight a detail it might have been observed that
the window-curtain was somewhat imprudently drawn aside to permit the
occupant of the room to see the persons who got out of the coach. There
were three men, who, with the haste of famished travellers, made their
way toward the brilliantly lighted windows of the common room.

They had scarcely entered, when a smart postilion came down the kitchen
staircase, shod simply with thin pumps over which he intended to pull
his heavy riding-boots, These he received from Antoine, slipping five
louis into his hand at the same time, and turned for the man to throw
his riding cape over his shoulders, a protection rendered necessary by
the severity of the weather.

This completed, Antoine returned hastily to the stables and hid in the
darkest corner. As for the