nd
myself face to face with a tall priest with a large stomach, the chest
of a prize-fighter, formidable hands projecting from turned-up sleeves,
a red face, and the looks of a kind man. I gave him a military salute
and said: 'Good day, Monsieur le Cure.'

"He had feared a surprise, some marauders' ambush, and he smiled as he
replied: 'Good day, my friend; come in.' I followed him into a small
room, with a red tiled floor, in which a small fire was burning, very
different to Marchas's furnace. He gave me a chair and said: 'What can
I do for you?'

"'Monsieur, allow me first of all to introduce myself'; and I gave him
my card, which he took and read half aloud: 'The Comte de Garens.'

"I continued: 'There are eleven of us here Monsieur l'Abbe, five on
grand guard, and six installed at the house of an unknown inhabitant.
The names of the six are, Garens (that is I), Pierre de Marchas,
Ludovic de Ponderel, Baron d'Etreillis, Karl Massouligny, the painter's
son, and Joseph Herbon, a young musician. I have come to ask you, in
their name and my own, to do us the honor of supping with us. It is an
Epiphany supper, Monsieur le Cure, and we should like to make it a
little cheerful.'

"The priest smiled and murmured: 'It seems to me to be hardly a
suitable occasion for amusing oneself.'

"I replied: 'We are fighting every day, Monsieur. Fourteen of our
comrades have been killed in a month, and three fell as late as
yesterday. That is war. We stake our life every moment; have we not,
therefore, the right to amuse ourselves freely? We are Frenchmen, we
like to laugh, and we can laugh everywhere. Our fathers laughed on the
scaffold! This evening we should like to brighten ourselves up a
little, like gentlemen, and not like soldiers; you understand me, I
hope. Are we wrong?'

"He replied quickly: 'You are quite right, my friend, and I accept your
invitation with great pleasure.' Then he called out: 'Hermance!'

"An old, bent, wrinkled, horrible, peasant woman appeared and said:
'What do you want?'

"'I shall not dine at home, my daughter.'

"'Where are you going to dine then?'

"'With some gentlemen, hussars.'

"I felt inclined to say: 'Bring your servant with you,' just to see
Marchas's face, but I did not venture to, and continued: 'Do you know
anyone among your parishioners, male or female, whom I could invite as
well?' He hesitated, reflected, and then said: 'No, I do not know
anybody!'

"I persisted: 'Nobody? Co