“And that vigorous, muscular old man, with the repulsive face, who is he? I mean the one in the ragged gown of a barrister.”
“Barrister! he aspires to be considered a brigadier-general. Did you never hear of de Longuy?”
“Is that he!” exclaimed Mademoiselle de Verneuil, horrified. “You employ such men as that?”
“Hush! he’ll hear you. Do you see that other man in malignant conversation with Madame du Gua?”
“The one in black who looks like a judge?”
“That is one of our go-betweens, La Billardiere, son of a councillor to the Breton Parliament, whose real name is something like Flamet; he is in close correspondence with the princes.”
“And his neighbor? the one who is just putting up his white clay pipe, and uses all the fingers of his right hand to snap the box, like a countryman.”
“By Jove, you are right; he was game-keeper to the deceased husband of that lady, and now commands one of the companies I send against the Republican militia. He and Marche-a-Terre are the two most conscientious vassals the king has here.”
“But she—who is she?”
“Charette’s last mistress,” replied the marquis. “She wields great influence over all these people.”