r before the
glass,--we were watching him all the time. Well, this went on for two or
three hours, when, I suppose, he knew it was no use waiting any longer;
so he came down-stairs very softly, and with quite a different manner to
the pride and consequence he had marched up with. By way of teasing him,
Pipelet and I went out to him and said, 'Commandant, there has been no
lady whatever to inquire for you,' 'Very well! Very well!' exclaimed he,
half mad and half ashamed of being laughed at, and, buttoning up his
coat, he walked off as fast as he could. The next time, before he came
himself, a small note was brought here by a man, directed to M. Charles;
I strongly suspected he was done again, and Pipelet and me were enjoying
a hearty good laugh over it when the commandant arrived. 'Captain,'
says I, putting the back of my hand up to my wig, by way of military
salute, 'here is a letter for you, but I am afraid it contains news of a
second countermarch against you.' He looked at me sour as a crab,
snatched the letter from my hand, read it, turned scarlet as a boiled
lobster, then walked off, pretending to whistle; but he was finely
vexed,--ready to hang himself, I could see he was,--and it was rare nuts
to me. 'Go, and swallow that pill, my two-farthing captain,' says I to
myself; 'that serves you right for only giving twelve francs a month for
minding your apartments.'"

"And the third time?"

"Ah, the third time I really thought it was all right. The commandant
arrived more stuck up with pride than ever; his eyes staring with
self-satisfied admiration at himself and the certainty of not being
disappointed this time. Let me tell the truth about him; he really is a
good-looking man, and dresses well, though he stinks of musk like a
civet cat. Well, there was my gentleman arrayed in all his finery, and
scarcely condescending to look at us poor folks; he seemed as though he
conferred a favour on the earth by deigning to walk on it, and went,
sticking his nose into the air, as if he meant to touch the clouds with
it. He took the key, and said to us, as he passed up-stairs, in a
jeering, self-complacent tone, as though to revenge himself for having
been laughed at twice before, 'You will direct the lady to my apartments
when she comes.' Well, Pipelet and I were so anxious to see the lady he
expected, though we did not much reckon upon her keeping her
appointment, even if she ever made one, that we went and hid ourselves
behi