I looked round with eyes of disgust, and my gorge
rose. They had spilled oil, and the place reeked foully.
'VENTRE BLEU!' I said. 'Is this conduct in a gentleman's house,
you rascals? MA VIE! If I had you I would send half of you to
the wooden horse!'
They gazed at me open-mouthed; my arrogance startled them. The
sergeant alone scowled. When he could find his voice for rage--
'This way!' he said. 'We did not know that a general officer
was coming, or we would have been better prepared!' And
muttering oaths under his breath, he led me down the well-known
passage. At the door of the parlour he stopped. 'Introduce
yourself!' he said rudely. 'And if you find the air warm, don't
blame me!'
I raised the latch and went in. At a table in front of the
hearth, half covered with glasses and bottles, sat two men
playing hazard. The dice rang sharply as I entered, and he who
had just thrown kept the box over them while he turned, scowling,
to see who came in. He was a fair-haired, blonde man, large-
framed and florid. He had put off his cuirass and boots, and his
doublet showed frayed and stained where the armour had pressed on
it.
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