The carter pointed to the Chevalier’s frizzled locks and elegant if faded dress. “They would take you up at the first village 139 crossing on that!” he remarked. “Your get-up gives you away.”
The Chevalier retired to a new toilette. Within, were the primitive resources of rustic wardrobe. As he emerged again from the cavern, old boon companions would indeed have been startled by the guise he now wore.
Beautiful apparel, cane, wig, lorgnette and snuffbox were in the discard. The frizzled locks were gone, revealing long straight black hair which was crowned by a shabby tricorne hat. The Chevalier’s elegant form was covered by an ill-fitting ragged black suit, which a pair of dusty shoes well matched. Across one shoulder he carried a pack stick, to which a thoroughly disreputable-looking small black bundle was fastened.
“You’ll do now,” said the rustic. “Remember you’re only a helper on a carter’s journey to Paris.”
Rustic and helper took their leave of the go-between by plunging through a wide but shallow stream. When they had emerged at the farther bank, they felt secure that their steps could not be traced. Waving good-byes to the other, the rustic 140 and his man hastened to a stable where they loaded a provision wagon and attached a country Dobbin to the thills. Presently de Vaudrey, in his new character of the carter’s assistant, was on the first stage of the long journey to the storm-wracked metropolis.
The carter’s load was of so little value, the whole outfit so poverty-stricken, that neither country Royalist nor provincial Revolutionary saw fit to bother them.
Gradually the carter sold his wares in the smaller villages en route. They wisely avoided the larger towns. The cart was nearly empty now. Saleables had all been disposed of except a few apples.
“How are you and I going to get into Paris?” said the distinguished young aristocrat, whose respect for the Reuben had increased daily.
“Trust me!” said the other. His broad, moon-faced physiognomy masked the cunning of the fox. “I have this apple here––”
The carter eyed his assistant intently and winked solemnly as if to say: “That will do the trick!”