The stranger took his hat and stick and walked slowly from the house, with a contemptuous glance at the girl. Isaure felt that she breathed more freely when she saw that man take his departure, and Vaillant, who had not ceased to growl since his brief struggle with the stranger, went to the door to look after him, and did not reenter the house until he was entirely out of sight.
XVIII
NEW CHARACTERS.—A GRAND FÊTE AT LA ROCHE-NOIRE.
At last the great day had arrived on which Robineau proposed to display all the magnificence of a Caliph, although his fortune did not approach in size that of his highness’s most insignificant pacha. But, after living for many years with the strictest economy, to become the owner of a château, to hear oneself called monseigneur, or Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, to have nine servants at one’s orders, and to be fêted, sought after, flattered by men, and ogled and cajoled by women, is more than is necessary to make one lose one’s head, especially when one has very little common sense and a great deal of vanity. So that Robineau had almost lost his head; he did not calculate, he did not reflect that the manner of life which he proposed to lead was infinitely beyond the income that he had inherited; he gave orders recklessly. But he was happy, he was fairly swimming in joy, and that is always something. How many people there are who, even with great wealth, can never succeed in being happy.
Robineau awoke very early in the morning and deliberated upon his costume; that is an important point, especially when one wishes to find a wife; for a woman who has received a fine education will never consent to take for a husband a man who does not know how to dress with taste. The first impressions are often hard to destroy: a man whose collar is too high, or whose coat sleeves are too short, will create a very bad effect in a salon, at first. At all events, that is what Robineau said to himself, and he was not absolutely wrong. But, if the ladies would pay strict attention to the subject, they would observe that it is not always the men who have the most intellect who tie their cravats best.
François brought to his master the new clothes which he had ordered from Paris. He spread them out on the bed, and Robineau hesitated between the wholly black costume and the white trousers, which were more seasonable. Monsieur Férulus entered the apartment at that moment; the librarian, man of business and butler was already in full dress, although he wore the same coat as always; but to improve it a little, he had had steel buttons of the size of a five-franc piece sewn on, which, when Monsieur Férulus stood in the sun, cast a reflection that made it impossible to see the rest of his person. Moreover, he had caused to be fixed upon his shoulders great bunches of black ribbon, the very long ends of which fell down his back, after manner of a queue.
Despite his gala costume, Monsieur Férulus’s face was longer than usual, and his eyes were red and fatigued.
"Parbleu! my dear Férulus, you arrive most opportunely," said Robineau; "you must help me in the choice of my costume; ought I to adopt the full suit of black, or may I venture to wear the white trousers?"
"The full suit of black is the proper thing, monseigneur; to dress otherwise would be a crime of lèse-ceremony! Remember, monseigneur, that this day will mark an epoch: you represent in your person all the chatelaines who have possessed this domain! If you were in China, you would dress in yellow; in England you might dress in red; in Austria, in white; in Prussia, in blue; and in Africa, you might be practically naked, except that you could paint some very pretty things on your body and legs and arms; but as the French nation is the gayest of all, it has specially adopted black for weddings, for burials and for dancing."
"You hear, Francois; prepare the full black costume.—Bless my soul! you are brilliant, Monsieur Férulus! You have some very fine buttons there!"
"Are they not, monseigneur? They descended to me from my father’s granduncle, who wore them in a minuet which he danced before Madame de Maintenon; you can understand how highly I prize them; they are the most precious heritage which my ancestors have left to me! I use them only on great occasions; for example, at my distribution of prizes, I give them and nothing else to my pupils—but on condition that they bring them back to me the next day."