"No revolt without you? No revolt without Peter Berrier? No revolt
without M. Debedin's ostler?" said they one after another.
"No--no revolt without M. Debedin's ostler, Madame." The last question
had been asked by the cook. "M. Debedin's ostler is as good, I suppose,
as M. Gaspardieu's postillion."
"What, as good as Cathelineau?" asked Momont.
"As good as our good postillion!" shouted Chapeau.
"As good as the holy man who charmed the cannon!" said the confidential
maid in a tone of angry amazement.
"Would all the girls in St. Florent crown you with bay leaves!" jeered
the cook.
"Will they ever make you a great captain!" screamed the housekeeper.
"Or call you the Saviour of St. Florent!" added the laundress.
"Or trust you with all the money, I'd like to know!" suggested the page.
Peter Berrier felt that he was ill-used after all that he had gone
through for his King and his country; he sat apart for the rest of the
evening, and meditated whether he would go over to the republicans, and
bring an army down upon Durbelliere, or whether he would more nobly
revenge himself by turning out a more enterprising royalist than even
the postillion himself.
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