"But, madame," cried Dr. Sphex, "you are sadly mistaken . . . and . . ." "And you, too, sir," replied the councillor's wife, "have given him your vote, much to your credit! You have done well; but now tell me, how could you believe that a youth so religiously brought up . . . so religiously nourished on the Scriptures . . . would have stained his chaste mind with all your abominable profane literature! Why make it a crime in him for not knowing the verses of a certain . . . Persius . . . who, they say, is the most shameless of satirists?" "By Hercules, madame, it was he who . . ." "Ah, by Hercules! What a frightful pagan oath!" cried the lady, raising her hands towards heaven. "I know all, I tell you . . . but I will say to you as I did to the baron: since you have dismissed your unjust prejudices . . . and have joined my husband in helping the cause of our innocent _protégé_ to triumph . . . all glory and honor to you!" "My dear baron . . . my nerves are horribly shaken by this scene," said the doctor, turning pale and seizing the baron's hands; "I am not well." . . . "And I, my poor doctor, I am suffocating . . . I have vertigo . . . my head is splitting! I'm stifling . . . I need air!" The door opened, and the ushers entered to announce that the Marquis of Létorière begged to have the honor of saluting and thanking the councillors. . . . "'Tis God who sends him to us!" cried the _conseillère._ "Let him come in . . . let him come in! the sweet paschal lamb." . . . "Now you will see this lamb-like drinker of pure water!" said the baron, with a sardonic laugh. "Now you will see this enemy of profane antiquity!" said the doctor in the same tone, joyfully rubbing his hands. "Now you will see this Nimrod!". . . said Flachsinfingen. "Now you will see the pearl of young men!" said Martha, with the most profound and full conviction. CHAPTER XVII THE ADIEUX Létorière entered. The surprise of the four spectators was at its height; they stood petrified, and looked at each other with astonishment. The Marquis was dressed with the most remarkable elegance. He wore a coat of sky-blue velvet, embroidered with gold and silver leaves of extreme delicacy; his vest of silver cloth was spangled with gold, as were also his small-clothes, of the same color as his coat; his rose-colored silk stockings were clocked with gold; his shoes had red heels; a sword mounted in gold, covered with ornaments of silver, most beautifully wrought; a shoulder-knot of blue, silver, and gold, and a chapeau, with white plumes, which the Marquis held in his hand, completed this magnificent costume. This complete metamorphosis had already upset all their conjectures, or rather confounded all the recollections of the councillors and Martha; but what still more excited their astonishment, was the impossibility of finding in Létorière's face any of the expressions which had struck them individually.