3: "Les mousquetaires tiraient leur noms de la couleur de
leur chevaux."--_St. Simon._]

"Easily. I descended once to Clermont, having bade farewell to my father
and intending to join the Regiment de Berri, when, lo! as I entered the
town, I saw our _grand seigneur_ of Creuse in talk with an officer of the
Mousquetaires Noirs. Then as I saluted him he called out to me: 'Boussac!
Boussac! what have you crossed the mountains for and come to Clermont?'
'_Pardie!_' I replied, 'monsieur, to seek my fortune as a soldier. I hear
there are some of the Regiment of Berri here. And the _arriere-ban_ is
out, the summons made.' 'And so it is,' replied the seigneur, 'only the
Regiment of Berri is complete, has all its complement. Now, here is the
colonel of the mousquetaires; if he would take you, why, your fortune's
made. Ask him, Boussac. Ask him.' So, monsieur, I asked him, telling him I
could ride any horse; would do so if he brought one; knew the
_escrime_--_ma foi!_ many a time had I fenced in the old castle with those
of the regiment; was strong and healthy, and, _voila!_ it was done. Even
the Mousquetaires--the king's own guard, the men of the _Maison du Roi_
were recruiting--it needed only that one should be of gentle blood, as the
Boussacs are. So, monsieur, I am mousquetaire; have fought when they
fight; we, of Ours, were at Mulhausen, Turckheim, and Salzbach----"

"Did you see Turenne killed?" asked St. Georges, turning on his horse
to look at his comrade.

"Nay, not killed, but just before the battle. Ah! he was a soldier!"
Then he went on with his recollections, finishing up by saying: "But,
alas! since then the peace has come, and we have naught to do but to
dance about the galleries of Versailles and be in attendance on the
king and his court. That," he said, patting his horse's coal-black
neck, "is no work for a soldier."

"It will change ere long," said St. Georges, "if all accounts be true.
Louis is threatened from all sides by the Dutchman, William, above
all. It will come."

"Let us hope so, monsieur. Peace is no good to us."

"No! peace is no good to us. My only hope is, England may not be drawn
into the game."

"And wherefore, monsieur?"

"I am half English--my mother was of that country. To draw a sword
against the land that gave her birth would be no pleasure to me."

"Yet, on the other--and the greater--side, monsieur is French. How
should you decide, therefore, if war comes?"

St. Georges rode