"I dream of horses," said Maurice carelessly.
"Bon jour, M. le Capitaine!" cried the countess. Then she added
with a light laugh: "Come, let me try you. Portons armes!
Presentons armes! --How beautifully you do it!--Par le flanc
gauche! En avant--marche!"
Maurice swung, clicked his heels and, with a covert glance at
Madame, led the way into the dining hall, whistling, "Behold the
saber of my father!"
"Ah, I do not see the Colonel," said Maurice; for night and day
the old soldier had been with them.
"He has gone to Brunnstadt," said Madame, "but will return this
evening."
The breakfast was short and merry. Words passed across the table
that were as crisp as the toast. Maurice remarked the advent of
two liveried servants, stolid Germans by the way, who, as he
afterward found, did not understand French.
"So the Colonel has gone to Brunnstadt?" said Maurice; which was
a long way of asking why the Colonel had gone to Brunnstadt.
"Yes," said Madame; "he has gone to consult Madame the duchess
to see what shall be done to you, Monsieur."
"To be done to me?" ignoring the challenge in her eyes.
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