"Yes, certainly we may, monsieur le baron," replied Ménard, who was so excited by the prospect that he took from his pocket the paper napkin in which the carcass of the chicken was wrapped, and wiped his face with it, thinking that it was his handkerchief, and oblivious to the fact that he was besmearing himself with chicken jelly; but Monsieur and Madame Chambertin were in the seventh heaven and saw nothing of all that. To take home with them to dinner a great Polish nobleman, a palatine! who had put a _de_ before monsieur's name, and who made eyes at madame--that was quite enough to turn their heads. "The cabriolet will never hold four," said madame. "Don't be alarmed, my dear; I will take Lunel's pony, and he will ride behind. Whenever monsieur le baron chooses----" "Faith! let us go," said Dubourg; and he added in an undertone, as he offered the lady his hand: "All the ruins in the world could not prevail against you!" They left the château, Dubourg with Madame Chambertin on his arm, while her husband ran ahead, and Ménard followed, trying to discover the source of the smell of chicken which pursued him everywhere. At a turn in the path, they discovered the cabriolet, in charge of a little man of about his master's years, who looked more like a butler than a jockey; beside him was an animal which, judging from its size and ears, was halfway between a horse and an ass. Madame Chambertin entered the carriage with her two guests. "Give me your nag, Lunel," said Monsieur Chambertin. "And what am I to do, monsieur?" "Get up behind the carriage." "You know very well, monsieur, that I can't hold on there." "Then you shall walk. The idiot! not to have learned yet to hold on behind a carriage!" As he spoke, Monsieur Chambertin mounted the beast, and belabored him with his cane in default of a crop. "Excuse me, if I ride ahead," he called to Dubourg; "but I have some orders to give." "Oh! no ceremony for us, I beg you, Monsieur de Chambertin!" was the reply. But the host was already far away; when he heard himself called _De_ Chambertin again, he took the bit in his teeth. Dubourg took the reins and drove, which did not prevent him from making many very gallant speeches to Madame Chambertin en route, or from motioning to Ménard to wipe his face. Lunel ran behind the cabriolet, consigning to the devil the strangers who were responsible for his master's taking his nag. In due time they arrived at Allevard, a pretty village, through which flowed a mountain stream of considerable size that furnished power for a large number of windmills, iron foundries, and factories. Monsieur Chambertin's estate was on the right, just at the entrance to the village; it was a beautiful house, built according to modern ideas, and, as Madame Chambertin said, almost a château.