“Among the rest, that of being the first beheaded,” murmured the inexorable abbé.
“Were truffles dear before the Revolution, préfet?” said De Beauvais, with a half-impertinent air of simplicity.
“No, sir; nothing was dear save the King's favor.”
“Which could also be had for paying for,” quoth the abbé.
“The 'Moniteur' of this evening, gentlemen,” said the waiter, entering with the paper, whose publication had been delayed some two hours beyond the usual period.
“Ah, let us see what we have here,” said De Beauvais, opening the journal and reading aloud: “'Greneral Espinasse is appointed to the command of the fourth corps, stationed at Lille; and Major-General Lannes to the fortress of Montreil, vacant by—' No matter,—here it is. 'Does the English government suppose that France is one of her Indian possessions, without the means to declare her wrongs or the power to avenge them? Can they believe that rights are not reciprocal, and that the observance of one contracting party involves nothing on the part of the other?'”
“There, there, De Beauvais; don't worry us with that tiresome nonsense.”
“'Or,' continued the marquis, still reading aloud, 'do they presume to say that we shall issue no commercial instructions to our agents abroad lest English susceptibility should be wounded by any prospect of increased advantages to our trade?'”
“Our trade!” echoed the préfet, with a most contemptuous intonation on the word.
“Ah, for those good old times, when there was none!” said the abbé, with such a semblance of honest sincerity as drew an approving smile from the old man.