heads
bristled out from among the rows of muskets which were arranged along
the wall. A broad rough-hewn maple table ran down the centre of this
apartment, and on this there was soon set a venison pie, a side of
calvered salmon, and a huge cranberry tart, to which the hungry
travellers did full justice. The seigneur explained that he had already
supped, but having allowed himself to be persuaded into joining them, he
ended by eating more than Ephraim Savage, drinking more than Du Lhut,
and finally by singing a very amorous little French _chanson_ with a
tra-le-ra chorus, the words of which, fortunately for the peace of the
company, were entirely unintelligible to the Bostonian.

"Madame is taking her refection in my lady's boudoir," he remarked, when
the dishes had been removed. "You may bring up a bottle of Frontiniac
from bin thirteen, Theuriet. Oh, you will see, gentlemen, that even in
the wilds we have a little, a very little, which is perhaps not
altogether bad. And so you come from Versailles, De Catinat? It was
built since my day, but how I remember the old life of the court at St.
Germain, before Louis turned serious! Ah, what innocent happy days they
were when Madame de Nevailles had to bar the windows of the maids of
honour to keep out the king, and we all turned out eight deep on to the
grass plot for our morning duel! By Saint Denis, I have not quite
forgotten the trick of the wrist yet, and, old as I am, I should be none
the worse for a little breather." He strutted in his stately fashion
over to where a rapier and dagger hung upon the wall, and began to make
passes at the door, darting in and out, warding off imaginary blows with
his poniard, and stamping his feet with little cries of "Punto! reverso!
stoccata! dritta! mandritta!" and all the jargon of the fencing schools.
Finally he rejoined them, breathing heavily and with his wig awry.

"That was our old exercise," said he. "Doubtless you young bloods have
improved upon it, and yet it was good enough for the Spaniards at Rocroy
and at one or two other places which I could mention. But they still
see life at the court, I understand. There are still love passages and
blood lettings. How has Lauzun prospered in his wooing of Mademoiselle
de Montpensier? Was it proved that Madame de Clermont had bought a
phial from Le Vie, the poison woman, two days before the soup disagreed
so violently with monsieur? What did the Due de Biron do when his
n