"But is it safe to introduce a Mazarin at Perret's?" asked Raoul.
"Have no fear," exclaimed Lautrec, "your young friend will be welcome; only we shall not tell him our secrets!" and he glanced roguishly at D'Arçy.
It seemed rather odd to be on terms of friendship with Mazarin's enemies, but this was only one of the strange features of this strange period. No one appeared able to remain serious long; a fight was followed by a banquet, and your opponent of the morning supped with you at night.
Lautrec was correct in saying that no one would molest me at Perret's, which was a large meeting-room, where we found a score of men, all young or at least not more than on the threshold of middle age, and all richly dressed, though none so extravagantly as the petit maître.
"Messieurs," cried my new acquaintance, "we have brought you an illustrious visitor. Behold the youth whom Scarron has immortalised! A Mazarin, but a prince of good fellows!" and he clapped me on the back.
Had I been one of them they could not have received me in a more friendly manner, and in a very short time I was completely at my ease.
"Let us have the song, Lautrec," said D'Arçy, "our friend has not heard it."
"Yes, yes, the song!" cried the others, laughing, and Lautrec stood up to sing the famous song composed by the Abbé Scarron.
The author had been made acquainted with the principal facts, but my wonder at this soon gave place to amusement. Mazarin, De Retz, Henri, myself, and even poor Pillot, were covered with ridicule, and at each verse the merriment of the audience increased.
It appeared that my cousin, in order to explain his absence from the expedition, had given out that his leg was injured by a fall, and when Lautrec reached that part the whole company screamed with delight.