"And no doubt it is. His daughter, too, may do something. There is only one grown up, and she has not been brought much into society--her father's fault, they say; he has ideas of his own about marrying her. But I am telling you what you know already?" "Not at all, monsieur. I have heard nothing of it. When my cousins live at Lancilly, the family councils may include me; so far they have not done so. I did not even realise that Mademoiselle Hélène was old enough to be married. And what match is arranged for her?" "None that I know of. Her father's action has been negative, not positive, I understand. He has simply refused to consider one or two suggested marriages, either of which would have been good politically." "Reasons of birth, I suppose," said Monsieur Joseph. "He has my cordial sympathy." The Prefect coughed; the General scraped his chair; Angelot nearly laughed aloud. "You will find it very agreeable to have your cousins at Lancilly," the Prefect said, looking at him kindly. "I don't know, monsieur," Angelot answered. "Young girls are hardly companions for me." "Indeed! As to that--" began the Prefect, still smiling as he looked at the lad; but his remark was cut short and his attention pleasantly distracted. Gigot, with unshaken solemnity, set open the doors for the second time that morning. "Monsieur est servi!" CHAPTER IV HOW THE BREAKFAST COOKED FOR THOSE WAS EATEN BY THESE The Prefect and the General enjoyed their breakfast thoroughly. They sat over it long; so long that Angelot, his hunger satisfied, began to suffer in his young limbs from a terrible restlessness. It was as much as he could do to sit still, listening first to the Prefect's political and society talk, then to stories of the General's campaigns. Under the influence of the despised wine of Anjou, Monsieur de Mauves, whose temper needed no sweetening, became a little sleepy, prosy, and long-winded. General Ratoneau on his side was mightily cheered, and showed quite a new animation: long before the meal ended, he was talking more than the other three put together. It was he who had been the hero of Eylau, of Friedland, of Wagram; the Emperor and the Marshals were nowhere. All the great movements were in consequence of his advice. And then his personal courage! The men he had killed with his own hand! As to the adventures which had fallen to his lot in storming and plundering towns, burning villages, quartering his men on country houses, these often belonged so much to the very seamiest side of war that Monsieur Joseph, soldier as he was, listened with a frown, and the Prefect coughed and glanced more than once at Angelot. For some of these stories were hardly suited to young and innocent ears, and Angelot looked, and indeed was, younger than his age.