"By Jove! of course I will!" I cried, leaping out of bed. "I should rather think I would!"
I called Joseph, whose terrified face I had not seen behind Delanoue.
"Here I am, monsieur!" he said, "here I am!"
"Give me my shooting clothes, and take my rifle to the nearest gun-maker's to be cleaned."
"Don't let him take your gun to a shop," said Delanoue; "they will take it from him on the way."
"What!" I said, "they would seize it?"
"Without a doubt.... Things are worse than during the Three Days!"
"Then, my dear Joseph, clean it yourself!"
"Good heavens! good heavens!" said Joseph, "is monsieur going to return to Soissons?"
"No, Joseph; I am going, on the contrary, in exactly the opposite direction."