"I don’t agree with you," said Edouard. "That man has had a good education, and has held high rank in society; he can’t make up his mind to wait upon other men, and that seems to me natural enough."
"What makes you think that that vagabond has been received in good society?" said Robineau. "I have discovered nothing distinguished in his appearance."
"If you had heard him talk, you would be certain that he has not always worn such shabby clothes."
"My dear friend," said Alfred, "you are a little inclined to be romantic. Everything that seems in the least degree strange or extraordinary, attracts you, and you are very glad to transform this vagabond into one of those mysterious characters whom we find only in novels."
"Messieurs," said Monsieur Férulus, filling everybody’s glass, "Monsieur Edouard is a man of letters; he may have been—I will say more, he must have been flattered to hear a few scholastic words come from the mouth of so vulgar a person. But what does that prove? That he has received an education? I am not of that opinion. Are we not told that in ancient times animals spoke?"
"Such things are seen in our day, too," said Alfred.
"Ah, yes! you mean parrots. They have had education; but Livy reports that an ox cried in the marketplace: ‘Rome, beware!’ Pliny says that a dog spoke when Tarquin was expelled from the throne; and if we are to believe Suetonius, a crow cried in the Capitol when Domitian was about to be assassinated: ‘That is well done!’ One of the horses of Achilles, named Xanthus, predicted to his master that he would die before Troy. Lastly, Phryxus’s ram spoke, as did the cows on Mount Olympus; and yet, messieurs, none of these beasts had ever received any education. Surely a man may do as much. My conclusion is that this vagabond has been in the service of some scholar, and that something of what he heard has stuck in his memory; for we masters of arts are like the sun, whose beams penetrate palace and garret alike.—Mademoiselle Cheval’s salmis is excellent.—I have the honor to drink to the health of Monsieur de la Roche-Noire."
Alfred and Edouard had ceased to take part in the conversation; they were both absorbed by their thoughts. But Monsieur Férulus, who seemed to have made up his mind to eat and drink and talk for the whole party, did not let the conversation flag, and took pains at every turn to throw some flattery or some compliment into the face of Robineau, who received it all with delight, and considered Monsieur Férulus much more agreeable than his two friends. The schoolmaster had already attained his end; the atmosphere of the château was much pleasanter to him than that of his school, and toward the close of the dinner, in the fulness of his heart, he said:
"Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, I feel that I have imbibed a very strong attachment for you."
"Monsieur Férulus," said Robineau bowing, "I beg you to believe that on my side——"