La Hurière saw that he must go to his aid:
"It is only that I am very fond of cards myself," said he, speaking rapidly, "and I came closer to see the trick which made you gain, and the gentleman saw me with my war helmet on, and as I am only a poor bourgeois, it surprised him."
"You make a fine figure, indeed you do!" cried La Mole, with a burst of laughter.
"Oh, sir," replied La Hurière with admirably pretended good nature and a shrug of the shoulders expressive of his inferiority, "we poor fellows are not very valiant and our appearance is not elegant. It is all right for you fine gentlemen to wear glittering helmets and carry keen rapiers, and provided we mount guard strictly"—
"Aha!" said La Mole, taking his turn at shuffling the cards. "So you mount guard, do you?"
"Eh, mon Dieu, oui, Monsieur le Comte! I am sergeant in a company of citizen militia."
After having said this while La Mole was engaged in dealing the cards, La Hurière withdrew, putting his finger on his lips as a sign of discretion for Coconnas, who was more amazed than ever.
This signal for caution was doubtless the reason that he lost almost as rapidly the second time as the first.
"Well," observed La Mole, "this makes exactly your six crowns. Will you have your revenge on your future fortune?"
"Willingly," replied Coconnas.