Velu does not notice this and always tells them to go on.
- After an hour, tired out, he comes back: "All right," he says, "now
let me see your chateau, which is a fine one." He had heard about a
room where there were fantocini, in the attic. He goes up, opens some
play-books, and, seeing on the lists of characters the name of King
and Prince, he, says to me: "You must scratch those out, and play only
republican pieces." The descent is by a back-stairs. On the way down
he encounters a maid of my wife's, who is very pretty; he stops and,
regarding my son, says: "You must as a good Republican, sleep with
that girl and marry her." I look at him and reply: " Monsieur Velu,
listen; we are well behaved here, and such language cannot be allowed.
You must respect the young people in my house." A little disconcerted,
he tames down and is quite deferential to Madame de Cheverney. - "You
have pen and ink on your table," he says, "bring them here." "What
for," I ask, "to take my inventory?" "No, but I must make a proc?s-
verbal. You help me; it will be better for you, as you can fix it to
suit you" This was not badly done, to conceal his want of knowledge.
- We go in to dinner.
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