"Nonsense! we already have a nephew who was to be an advocate, a godson who was to be a priest, two attorney's clerks, two druggists, a doctor, three bakers, two country bumpkins; that's enough of that kind of soldiers, God knows! without adding a woman to them; for some day or other we shall have to fight." "Very true; but our cash only amounts to twenty-five thousand livres," (it appears that the cash as well as the troop had taken pattern by the snowball) "and if we could reach a good round figure, thirty thousand livres, say, it seems to me that it wouldn't be a bad scheme." "Ah! if you look at it from that point of view, I am with you, and haven't a word to say." "Hush! you will see." Cauvignac approached the young woman, who, having drawn rein in front of one of the windows of the inn, was questioning the hostess, who assured her that she could be accommodated with a room. "Your servant, young gentleman," he said, with a cunning expression, putting his hand to his hat in a free and easy way. "Young gentleman, did you say?" said the lady, with a smile. "Yes, viscount." The lady blushed. "I am at a loss to know what you mean, monsieur," she said. "Oh! yes, you do, and the half-inch of blush on your cheeks proves it." "You certainly are mistaken, monsieur." "Nay, nay! on the contrary, I am perfectly sure of what I say." "A truce to your jesting, monsieur." "I am not jesting, monsieur, and if you wish for proofs, you shall have them. I had the honor to meet you, it will soon be three weeks ago, dressed according to your sex, on the banks of the Dordogne, on which occasion you were attended by your faithful squire, Monsieur Pompée. Is Monsieur Pompée still in your service?--Why, yes, there he is now, dear Monsieur Pompée! Will you tell me that I don't know him either?" The squire and the young woman looked at each other in speechless amazement. "Oh! yes, that astonishes you, my gallant viscount," Cauvignac continued; "but dare to say that it was not you whom I met on the road to Saint-Martin de Cubzac, a fourth of a league from the hostelry of Master Biscarros." "I do not deny the meeting, monsieur." "What did I say?" "But that was the time when I was disguised." "Nay, nay, you are disguised now. I quite understand that, as the description of the Vicomte de Cambes has been given out all through Guyenne, you deemed it more prudent, in order to avoid suspicion, to adopt, for the moment, this costume, which, to do you justice, my fair sir, is extremely becoming to you." "Monsieur," said the viscountess, with an anxiety which she tried in vain to conceal, "except that your conversation contains a word or two of sense now and then, I should think you mad." "I will not pay you the same compliment, for it seems to me a most judicious thing to disguise one's self when one is conspiring." The young woman gazed at Cauvignac with increasing uneasiness.