“Well, do you go near Pigeon Valley?” the boy asked.
“Not often, about once a month. I take in that way on my next route, and then go straight on toward Calais, but I have to détour so much now it’s the hardest trip I have. I have to keep out of the way of cannon, my boy, and the army, and maybe fighting!” The driver spoke importantly.
“Well, anyway you don’t have any of that as far as Pigeon Valley.” The boy came close to the cart and spoke in a low tone. Marie Josephine could not hear. Evidently the man made some emphatic statement and the boy replied in a louder tone, “Never mind, if you don’t go straight there with the coach.” Then he handed the driver something white which looked like a letter. Marie Josephine heard him say:
“I’ll see that he gets it safely.” With that, Champar, the coach driver, whipped up his horses, waved his whip at them all, and drove on.
Chapter XVIII
VIVI SEES THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GATES
Raoul kicked one leg against the other. He was ill at ease, as any one could have seen had they taken the trouble to watch him. Soufflot, the seed shopman, seated on an overturned box in the market gardener’s room, was holding forth as usual to some of his cronies. Dian sat apart from the others, his hands folded on his knees. Raoul came up to him, and stood before him, looking up at him. He had gone with his master to the country the day after he had made fun of Humphrey at the West Barricade, more than a fortnight ago now, and so he had not seen Dian since.
“Good day, master shepherd. It’s a long time since we’ve walked out together, but now that you’re acquainted with the city perhaps you’ll not want my company.” He hesitated a moment and then he colored all over his honest face as he went on, “I’m none too proud of taunting the funny fat man at the West Barricade.”
Dian smiled. “It was not a thing of which to be proud, that I’m bound to say. One can go far if one has Humphrey Trail for a friend. The best thing for you to do, if you are sorry, is to tell him so. Mayhap you’ll be able to do something to atone for it one day! As for a walk, I’ll be glad to go out with you. There’s too much talking here, words that do nothing and mean less.” As he spoke, Dian rose to his great height and put his cloak about his shoulders. He crossed the room and had his hand on the knob of the door when something that Soufflot said made him pause.
“We can take what we want, that’s what we can do. There was plenty of grab awhile ago, but things are getting soft. I say let’s pillage!”