The revolt of St. Florent had been heard of
in the servants' hall as well as in the salon upstairs, and it was soon
known that the heroes of the revolt were in the house, and that their
horses were before the door. A couple of men and two or three boys soon
hurried round, and Peter was relieved from his charge, and courteously
led into the servants' hall by Momont, the grey-headed old butler and
favourite servant of the Marquis, and Jacques Chapeau, the valet, groom,
and confidential factotum of Larochejaquelin. Peter was soon encouraged
to tell his tale, and to explain the mission which had brought him and
his two companions to Durbelliere, and under ordinary circumstances the
having to tell so good a tale would have been a great joy to him; but
at the present moment Peter was not quite satisfied with his own
position; why was the postillion in the salon while he was in the
kitchen? Peter usually was a modest man enough, and respectful to his
superiors; the kitchen table in a nobleman's house would generally be
an elysium to him; he had no idea that he was good enough to consort
with Marquises and their daughters; but he did think himself equal to
Cathelineau, the postillion, and as Cathelineau was in the salon, why
should he be in the kitchen? He quite understood that Cathelineau was
thus welcomed, thus raised from his ordinary position in consequence of
what he had done at St.
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