"Devil! Peste! Species of pig!" de Lotbinière cried, his rage finding too few words.
"I just now heard some more details from an officer of of the Lambesc Dragoons," Répentigny continued. "My namesake was perfectly silent; Louis, on the contrary, quite unlike his ordinary manner, made no attempt to control himself. He never ceased to exclaim, 'Clodfoot! Impostor!' and to taunt the stranger at each stroke with his father's origin. Finally Louis was disarmed, whereupon, with the same silence, Lecour handed back his sword—'with great dignity' said the Dragoon, and Louis refused to receive it."
"'With great dignity!'" shouted de Lotbinière—"You speak as though you had no feeling."
"On the contrary," replied Répentigny, "I am very sorry for every one concerned."
"Save your pity! I shall now bring up my heavy guns."
[CHAPTER XXVII]
JUDE AND THE GALLEY
The Council of the Galley-on-Land were gathered again in Gougeon's shop at two in the morning. All Paris was sleeping, and even the orgies of the Beggars' Ball had sunk to silence. There was animation among the Council, for in a corner, not at first visible, lay a subject of debate—a prisoner tightly bound with a rope. Each man held some piece of sharp iron, Wife Gougeon her pistol. The Admiral sat wrapped in his brown cloak.
"I caught him!" shouted Hache hilariously; "I caught him myself."
"Who is he?" the Admiral asked.