The sergeant¹’s views on the subject of Toni’s marriage to Denise were very much enlightened that afternoon by Madame Marcel’s requesting an interview with him in her own room. The sergeant arrayed himself in his best uniform, paid a visit to the barber, waxed and dyed his mustaches to the ultimate point, and then presented himself at Madame Marcel’s door. Madame Marcel was the most unsophisticated of women, but this did not mean that she could not play a part, and play it well. Her part was to persuade the sergeant that, after Toni and Denise were married, she herself might become Madame Duval, a thing she had not the slightest idea of doing. So she received the sergeant in the most gracious manner, smiled at him, talked about the happiness of their children, and seemed to think that married life was the only road to real bliss², and that one could not marry too early or too often. The sergeant saw that she had set her heart on the marriage between Toni and Denise and that [Pg 246]he would stand no chance whatever of establishing himself in the comfortable back room of Madame Marcel’s shop unless he agreed to the match. So far he was quite correct, but in his further assumption that by agreeing to it he was making good his title to the armed chair which he coveted³ by the kitchen stove, he was miles out of the way.  
The result, however, was the same—that after much running to and fro, and as many legal documents for Denise’s ten thousand francs as for Lucie’s fortune, the matter was arranged; and on the day fortnight that they had made a family party to the Golden Lion and had eaten and drunk in the garden, they made an excursion to the same place to celebrate the betrothal⁴ of Toni and Denise. It was too late then to sit out of doors, so they had their little feast in a private room of the Golden Lion with a glowing fire on the hearth⁵. Madame Marcel insisted on being the hostess on this occasion, and ordered a truly gorgeous supper. There was a heart-shaped cake on the table with love birds pecking at orange blossoms, and all the candies were hearts and darts⁶ and loves and doves. Everything wore a sort of St. Valentine’s air. Denise, in a beautiful pink silk gown, sat next Toni [Pg 247]at the table. There were several of the Duvals’ friends and two or three of Toni’s comrades.
 
When it was time to drink the bride’s health, Toni went a message out to where Madame Bernard’s carriage stood in the courtyard. Out stepped Paul and Lucie, leaving Madame Bernard in the carriage. When they appeared in the supper-room there was a general commotion⁷. Toni had kept this impending⁸ honor a secret from every one, except Denise, and Sergeant Duval was the more impressed by the compliment of Paul Verney’s coming through having it sprung on him as a surprise. Lucie shook hands with Toni, kissed Denise on the cheek, remembered the Sergeant and Mademoiselle Duval and Madame Marcel, bestowed⁹ bows and smiles on all present, and, as she always did, brought an atmosphere of kindness and gaiety with her. Paul shook Toni’s hand and pronounced an eulogy¹⁰ upon him, looking gravely into Toni’s eyes at the time, and neither one of them winked¹¹. He spoke¹² as if, when Toni’s time was up and he should leave the regiment¹³, he would be as much missed as the colonel himself. Then he proposed the health of the betrothed¹⁴ pair and it was drunk with all honors.
 
The two pairs of lovers looked at each other—[Pg 248]it recalled their childish days at Bienville. How seldom does the course of true love run smooth, and how smoothly¹⁵ had it run for them. Then Lucie and Paul left, having almost persuaded the Duval faction¹⁶ that they had done themselves great honor by securing Toni for Denise.
 
The next morning it was Paul Verney’s turn at the riding-school, and as he walked along in the crisp autumn air, feeling as if Heaven was around him as well as above him, he came face to face with Toni. Toni’s eyes were wide and dark with terror, his face was pale and he gnawed¹⁷ his mustache furiously. The change since Paul had seen him the night before was enough to shock any one. Toni did not wait to be asked what was the matter, but, coming close to Paul, said in his ear:
 
“They are here—Pierre and Nicolas—they lay in wait for me when I got back to the barracks last night—they were in the batch¹⁸ of recruits that came in yesterday.”
 
“What of it?” said Paul, who was not easily shaken.
 
“They told me that unless I stood by them they would tell all about—those—those things that happened when I was in the circus, and about Count [Pg 249]Delorme’s death, and the rest of it. You know, sir, I am as innocent—as innocent—” He pointed¹⁹ upward to a bird that sang and swung upon a bough²⁰ close by. His speech seemed to fail him. Nicolas and Pierre in a single night had resumed all their old sway over him; he was once more under the dominion²¹ of fear.
 
“They were not conscripted, those two rascals²²?” said Paul.
 
“No, they told me that the authorities were hot after them about the Delorme matter. A twenty-franc piece was found which had a mark on it and was traced to Count Delorme. It was the piece which they put in my pocket and which I threw after them. Nothing could actually be discovered against them, but they could not well get out of the way, so they concluded the best thing to do was to enlist²³ in a dragoon regiment, and as they couldn’t get away from this part of the country, they thought it best not to try, and so came here.”
 
Toni wiped his forehead, on which the big drops stood.
 
“Toni”—Paul spoke sharply—“be a man. Do you suppose when Denise promised to marry you that she thought she was marrying a poltroon²⁴ to be [Pg 250]scared by a ghost—afraid of a whisk of a rabbit’s tail?”
 
Toni groaned²⁵ heavily. The little while that he had been free from fear of his secret made its return seem the more dreadful to him.
 
“It’s—it’s—it’s a very horrible thing to feel that you have two men at your heels ready to swear that you have been engaged in murder and robbery and arson²⁷.”
 
“But if you have not committed murder and robbery and arson, you have nothing to fear,” replied Paul, speaking sternly. Toni made no answer, but shook his head. Paul then tried persuasion²⁸ on him, but nothing could lessen²⁹ Toni’s fear of his two old companions.
 
Paul went on to the riding-school. Pierre and Nicolas, proud of their accomplishments³⁰ as riders, were anxious to exhibit their skill. Neither of them was as graceful³¹ a rider as Toni though, and Nicolas was beetle-browed and red-headed, while Pierre was a combination of a fox and a monkey. Sergeant Duval was a judge of men, and not all their accomplishments inclined him favorably toward them, nor did he, after a month’s trial, h............