"To-morrow morning, in the Bois. Perhaps you will bring a friend."
"Certainly, monsieur. To-morrow morning, then. I hope we shall
have fine weather. I detest the rain."
Chabrillane looked at him almost with amazement Andre-Louis smiled
pleasantly.
"Don't let me detain you now, monsieur. We quite understand each
other. I shall be in the Bois at nine o'clock to-morrow morning."
"That is too late for me, monsieur."
"Any other hour would be too early for me. I do not like to have
my habits disturbed. Nine o'clock or not at all, as you please."
"But I must be at the Assembly at nine, for the morning session."
"I am afraid, monsieur, you will have to kill me first, and I
have a prejudice against being killed before nine o'clock."
Now this was too complete a subversion of the usual procedure for
M. de Chabrillane's stomach. Here was a rustic deputy assuming
with him precisely the tone of sinister mockery which his class
usually dealt out to their victims of the Third Estate. And to
heighten the irritation, Andre-Louis - the actor, Scaramouche
always - produced his snuffbox, and proffered it with a steady
hand to Le Chapelier before helping himself.
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