While eating and laughing and talking with his heir, honest Sylvain suddenly fell into profound melancholy. He succeeded in concealing it from the boy. But when Adamas, declaring that everything was going satisfactorily, came to make him up for the day, he opened his heart to him, while the child played about the château. "My poor friend," he said, "I am amazed that the _numes célestes_, who have watched over me with such paternal care of late, have allowed me none the less to become involved in a terrible embarrassment." "What embarrassment, monsieur?" "Have you already forgotten, Adamas, that I offered my heart and my life to a beautiful enchantress on the morning of the very day when I found Mario? Now, as she did not reject, but simply postponed my offer, the result is that I run the risk--according to you!--of having other heirs than this child, to whom I would gladly devote my life and bequeath my property." "The devil! monsieur, I did not think of that! But do not be disturbed! As it was I who put the fatal plan into your mind, it is for me to find you a way out of the dilemma. I will think about it, monsieur, I will think about it! Don't forget to beautify yourself and to make merry to-day." "Indeed I will not. But what coat is that you are giving me, my friend!" "Your coat _à la paysanne_, monsieur; it is one of the handsomest you have." "In truth, I think it is the very handsomest; and it pains me to make myself so fine when my poor Mario----" "Monsieur, monsieur, let me arrange everything; our Mario will be very presentable." The marquis's "peasant" coat was white velvet and white satin, with a profusion of silver lace and magnificent ruffles. White was then the color of the peasants, who dressed in white linen or coarse fustian at all seasons; so that whenever a person was dressed all in white, that person was said to be dressed _à la paysanne_, and it was one of the most popular fashions. The marquis was certainly very amusing in that dress; but everybody was so accustomed to see him disguised as a young man; he was tricked out from head to foot with such beautiful things and such curious baubles; his perfumes were so exquisite, and, in spite of everything, there was so much nobility in his elderly charms, and so much kindly amiability in his ways, that if people had found him suddenly transformed into the serious, methodical personage that his years would naturally import, they would have regretted the pleasure he gave the eyes and the satisfaction he was able to afford the mind. About two o'clock a scullion, dressed in ancient feudal costume for the occasion, and stationed at the top of the entrance tower, blew a blast on an old horn to announce the approach of a cavalcade.