window.

The two men looked at each other and laughed.

"Good night, dear uncle," said Angelot, gently. "I leave my cause in
your hands--and Riette's!"

"You are mad--we are all mad together. Go home and expect nothing," said
Monsieur Joseph.

CHAPTER IX

HOW COMMON SENSE FOUGHT AND TRIUMPHED

General Ratoneau found himself a hero at Madame de Sainfoy's dinner
party, and was gratified. A new-comer, he had hardly yet made his way
into provincial society, except by favour of the Prefect. Even the old
families who regarded the Prefect as partly one of themselves, and for
his birth and manners forgave his opinions, found a difficulty in
swallowing the General. The idea that he was unwelcome, when it
penetrated Ratoneau's brain, added to the insolence of his bearing. To
teach these ignorant provincial nobles a lesson, to show these poor and
proud people, returned from emigration, that they need not imagine the
France of 1811 to be the same country as the France of 1788, to make
them feel that they were subjects of the Emperor Napoleon and inferior
to his officers--all this seemed to General Ratoneau part of his mission
in Anjou. And at the same time it was the wish of his heart to be
received as a friend and an equal by the very people he pretended to
despise.

Lancilly enchanted him. Though the stately halls and staircases were
bare, the great rooms half-furnished and dark--for Madame de Sainfoy
had not yet carried out her plans of decoration--though there were few
servants, no great display of splendid plate, no extravagance in the
dinner itself, no magnificence in the ladies' dresses, for at this time
simplicity was the fashion--yet everything pleased him, because of the
perfections of his hostess. Madame de Sainfoy laid herself out to
flatter him, to put him in a good humour with himself. Rather to the
disgust of various old neighbours who had not dined at Lancilly for more
than twenty years, she placed the Prefect and the General on her right
and left at dinner, and while the Prefect made himself agreeable to an
old lady on his right, whose satin gown was faded and her ancient lace
in rags, she devoted all her powers of talk to the General.

In a way she admired the man. His extraordinary likeness to his master
attracted her, for she was a hearty worshipper of Napoleon. She talked
of Paris, the Empress, the Court; she talked of her son and his
campaigns, asking the General's opinion and advice, but cle