"No," said De Bouillon: "hang it! that's a serious matter. But I'll tell you what, I've no objection to knock down a charley."
"No, no! let's go to Rouge et Noir."
"Boys, boys!" at last exclaimed the Vicomte de Lanoy, "I'll tell you what we shall do,—Beauvilliers told me that, while we were all engaged at the dinner, he was going to seize a beautiful creature, and carry her off to the Parc d'Amour."
"Wrong, decidedly wrong!" said De Bouillon at this proposition. "Who is she?"
"Why, the companion, you understand, of an old twaddling fool, who has no right to so much beauty. Beauvilliers did not tell me his name, but 'tis only one of the bourgeoisie, and we surely have a right to do as we like with them."
"Ah yes! of course," replied De Bouillon, "I did not think of that. What then?"
"Why, sir, we shall play as good a trick on Beauvilliers as he designed for the ancient gentleman. Let's get there before him, and carry her from him!"
"Agreed, agreed!"
"No, no, I must declare off," said the marquis. "'Tis a bad business altogether, and this would make it worse."
"But who is to carry the lady?" inquired the duke, without attending to the scruples of his friend.