Then they all sat down to breakfast, and Paul Rouel and old Gobelin, who
had contrived to be of the party, were greatly surprised to hear and to
see how civil Michael was to his sons. He pressed them to eat of the
very best, as he did to Chapeau, and talked to them about the war,
listened to all their tales, and had altogether lost the domineering
authoritative tone of voice, with which he usually addressed his own
family; it was only in talking to Annot that he was the same
hot-tempered old man as ever. The two young men themselves were hardly
at their ease; but they eat their breakfast, and made the best they
could of it.
"Smothered fire burns longest, neighbour Gobelin," said Rouel, as he
left the house. "Take my word, Michael will never forgive those two boys
of his the longest day he has to live."
After breakfast, Michael Stein and his whole party went to mass, as did
all the soldier peasants, who had returned from Saumur; and the old Cure
of the parish, who had now recovered possession of his own church, with
much solemnity returned thanks to God for the great victory which the
Vendeans had gained, and sung a requiem for the souls of the royalists
who had fallen in the battle.
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