Monsieur Berlingue's horse advanced at a very slow trot, but still he did advance. Robineau went down from the tower with his friends to welcome the newcomer, and François and the scullions, seeing the horseman approach, took aim at him, thinking that the time had come to fire; but Monsieur Férulus checked them in time, and Monsieur Berlingue dismounted and entered the château, glancing all about with malicious curiosity.
The newcomer was a short man of fifty years, who was not very stylishly dressed, but whose sneering face seemed to be constantly seeking something to make fun of. He walked toward Robineau and held out his hand, staring at the two young men who were in the salon; and even before he had asked the master of the house how he was, he had taken an inventory of everything in the room.
"Monsieur Berlingue," said Robineau, "you are very amiable, for you have come at last! But the other gentlemen and ladies--no one comes and it is nearly one o'clock! And yet I asked them to come early. I had arranged some little surprises for the ladies."
"Monsieur de la Roche-Noire," replied Monsieur Berlingue in a shrill voice, shouting as if he never spoke to any except deaf people, "it is a principle of mine to be prompt, to keep my word.--Are these gentlemen your friends from Paris? Very happy to make their acquaintance.--But, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, if you want to have company at noon, you must invite them for nine o'clock, for here--You have had this part of the château repaired, I see--here, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, we go beyond the fashion: in Paris, people keep you waiting one hour; in the provinces they keep you waiting four.--Is this your livery? It is a new style.--And then the ladies, married or single! do you suppose that they can finish their toilet at noon?--You still have some furniture that's rather old-fashioned; you must change it.--In the first place, the women in the provinces are greater flirts than those in Paris!--Your coat fits you perfectly.--You expect Mesdames de Moulinet, Mesdemoiselles Bretonneau, the La Pincerie family, Gérard the manufacturer's wife, and the notary's wife--Parbleu! If those ladies are all here within two hours, you will be very lucky.--Ah! greased poles in your courtyard! That is charming! It is an entirely new idea!"