"Yes, mademoiselle," observed Alfred, "and that night La Roche-Noire did some things—which I would not have done."
"To be sure," said Robineau, compressing his lips. "As for ghosts, I do not believe in them the least in the world. But I propose to find out why my servants presume to spread reports which are utterly absurd."
"Oh! yes, monsieur," said Eudoxie; "we must find out what it is, for I am afraid of everything; and it would be a shameful thing to bring us to a château inhabited by ghosts."
"Indeed, it would be dishonorable," said Uncle Mignon in an undertone, as he followed the company, who left the table to repair to the salon, where all the servants soon arrived in a body, in accordance with their master’s orders.
"Which of you is it who saw something or somebody at night in the North Tower?" asked Robineau, perching himself gracefully in a large easy-chair, while the ladies and the two young men talked together on an enormous couch at a little distance.
The servants looked at one another for some time without replying; at last Benoît stepped forward and said:
"I believe it was me, monseigneur."
"You see! he is uncertain about it already," said Férulus; "oculos habent et non videbunt!"
"Monsieur Férulus," said Robineau testily, "why do you speak Latin to my people? You know very well that they don’t understand it! Parbleu! if I chose, I could speak Latin to them too; and even cookery Latin, which would be much more within their reach."
"Monseigneur, I was quoting a passage of Scripture."