onorous, as hollow as the
rhythmic accompaniment on the muffled drums. First the white surplices
of the clergy, amid the mourning drapery of the first five carriages;
next, drawn by six black horses, veritable horses of Erebus, there
advanced the funeral car, all beplumed, fringed and embroidered in
silver, with big tears, heraldic coronets surmounting gigantic M's,
prophetic initials which seemed those of Death himself, _La Mort_ made
a duchess decorated with the eight waving plumes. So many canopies and
massive hangings hid the vulgar body of the hearse, as it trembled and
quivered at each step from top to bottom as though crushed beneath the
majesty of its dead burden. On the coffin, the sword, the coat, the
embroidered hat, parade undress--which had never been worn--shone with
gold and mother-of-pearl in the darkened little tent formed by the
hangings and among the bright tints of fresh flowers telling of spring
in spite of the sullenness of the sky. At a distance of ten paces came
the household servants of the duke; then, behind, in majestic isolation,
the cloaked officer bearing the emblems of honour--a veritable display
of all the orders of the whole world--crosses, multicoloured ribbons,
which covered to overflowing the cushion of black velvet with silver
fringe.

The master of ceremonies came next, in front of the representatives of
the Legislative Assembly--a dozen deputies chosen by lot, among them
the tall figure of the Nabob, wearing the official costume for the first
time, as if ironical Fortune had desired to give to the representative
on probation a foretaste of all parliamentary joys. The friends of the
dead man, who followed, formed a rather small group, singularly well
chosen to exhibit in its crudity the superficiality and the void of that
existence of a great personage reduced to the intimacy of a theatrical
manager thrice bankrupt, of a picture-dealer grown wealthy through
usuary, of a nobleman of tarnished reputation, and of a few men about
town without distinction. Up to this point everybody was walking on foot
and bareheaded; among the parliamentary representatives there were only
a few black skull-caps, which had been put on timidly as they approached
the populous districts. After them the carriages began.

At the death of a great warrior it is the custom for the funeral convoy
to be followed by the favourite horse of the hero, his battle charger,
regulating to the slow step of the procession