CHAPTER IX.

M. DE LOIGNAC.


"Supper!" cried M. de Loignac; "and from this moment let all be friends,
and love each other like brothers."

"Hum!" said St. Maline.

"That would be difficult," added Ernanton.

"See," cried Pincornay, "they laugh at me because I have no hat, and
they say nothing to M. Montcrabeau, who is going to supper in a cuirass
of the time of the Emperor Pertinax, from whom it probably came. See
what it is to have defensive arms."

"Gentlemen," cried Montcrabeau, "I take it off; so much the worse for
those who prefer seeing me with offensive instead of defensive arms;"
and he gave his cuirass to his lackey, a man about fifty years of age.

"Peace! peace!" cried De Loignac, "and let us go to table."

Meanwhile the lackey whispered to Pertinax, "And am I not to sup? Let me
have something, Pertinax. I am dying of hunger."

Pertinax, instead of being offended at this familiar address, replied,
"I will try, but you had better see for something for yourself."

"Hum! that is not reassuring."