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a　girl；　as　much　concerned　about　his　little　dog　Thisbe　and　her　caprices
as　though　he　were　an　elderly　dowager。　In　this　way　he　gave　a　high　idea
of　his　departed　gallantry；　but　he　never　so　much　as　alluded　to　the
deeds　of　surpassing　bravery　which　had　astonished　the　doughty　old
admiral；　Comte　d'Estaing。　Though　his　manner　was　that　of　an　invalid；
and　he　walked　as　if　stepping　on　eggs　and　complained　about　the
sharpness　of　the　wind　or　the　heat　of　the　sun；　or　the　dampness　of　the
misty　atmosphere；　he　exhibited　a　set　of　the　whitest　teeth　in　the
reddest　of　gums；a　fact　reassuring　as　to　his　maladies；　which　were；
however；　rather　expensive；　consisting　as　they　did　of　four　daily　meals
of　monastic　amplitude。　His　bodily　frame；　like　that　of　the　baron；　was
bony；　and　indestructibly　strong；　and　covered　with　a　parchment　glued　to
his　bones　as　the　skin　of　an　Arab　horse　on　the　muscles　which　shine　in
the　sun。　His　skin　retained　the　tawny　color　it　received　in　India；
whence；　however；　he　did　not　bring　back　either　facts　or　ideas。　He　had
emigrated　with　the　rest　of　his　friends；　lost　his　property；　and　was　now
ending　his　days　with　the　cross　of　Saint…Louis　and　a　pension　of　two
thousand　francs；　as　the　legal　reward　of　his　services；　paid　from　the
fund　of　the　Invalides　de　la　Marine。　The　slight　hypochondria　which　made
him　invent　his　imaginary　ills　is　easily　explained　by　his　actual
suffering　during　the　emigration。　He　served　in　the　Russian　navy　until
the　day　when　the　Emperor　Alexander　ordered　him　to　be　employed　against
France；　he　then　resigned　and　went　to　live　at　Odessa；　near　the　Duc　de
Richelieu；　with　whom　he　returned　to　France。　It　was　the　duke　who
obtained　for　this　glorious　relic　of　the　old　Breton　navy　the　pension
which　enabled　him　to　live。　On　the　death　of　Louis　XVIII。　he　returned　to
Guerande；　and　became；　after　a　while；　mayor　of　the　city。

The　rector；　the　chevalier；　and　Mademoiselle　de　Pen…Hoel　had　regularly
passed　their　evenings　for　the　last　fifteen　years　at　the　hotel　de
Guenic；　where　the　other　noble　personages　of　the　neighborhood　also
came。　It　will　be　readily　understood　that　the　du　Guenics　were　at　the
head　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　the　old　Breton　province；　where
no　member　of　the　new　administration　sent　down　by　the　government　was
ever　allowed　to　penetrate。　For　the　last　six　years　the　rector　coughed
when　he　came　to　the　crucial　words；　/Domine；　salvum　fac　regem/。
Politics　were　still　at　that　point　in　Guerande。



IV

A　NORMAL　EVENING

/Mouche/　is　a　game　played　with　five　cards　dealt　to　each　player；　and
one　turned　over。　The　turned…over　card　is　trumps。　At　each　round　the
player　is　at　liberty　to　run　his　chances　or　to　abstain　from　playing　his
card。　If　he　abstains　he　loses　nothing　but　his　own　stake；　for　as　long
as　there　are　no　forfeits　in　the　basket　each　player　puts　in　a　trifling
sum。　If　he　plays　and　wins　a　trick　he　is　paid　/pro　rata/　to　the　stake；
that　is；　if　there　are　five　sous　in　the　basket；　he　wins　one　sou。　The
player　who　fails　to　win　a　trick　is　made　/mouche/；　he　has　to　pay　the
whole　stake；　which　swells　the　basket　for　the　next　game。　Those　who
decline　to　play　throw　down　their　cards　during　the　game；　but　their　play
is　held　to　be　null。　The　players　can　exchange　their　cards　with　the
remainder　of　the　pack；　as　in　ecarte；　but　only　by　order　of　sequence；　so
that　the　first　and　second　players　may；　and　sometimes　do；　absorb　the
remainder　of　the　pack　between　them。　The　turned…over　trump　card　belongs
to　the　dealer；　who　is　always　the　last；　he　has　the　right　to　exchange　it
for　any　card　in　his　own　hand。　One　powerful　card　is　of　more　importance
than　all　the　rest；　it　is　called　Mistigris。　Mistigris　is　the　knave　of
clubs。

This　game；　simple　as　it　is；　is　not　lacking　in　interest。　The　cupidity
natural　to　mankind　develops　in　it；　so　does　diplomatic　wiliness；　also
play　of　countenance。　At　the　hotel　du　Guenic；　each　of　the　players　took
twenty　counters；　representing　five　sous；　which　made　the　sum　total　of
the　stake　for　each　game　five　farthings；　a　large　amount　in　the　eyes　of
this　company。　Supposing　some　extraordinary　luck；　fifty　sous　might　be
won；more　capital　than　any　person　in　Guerande　spent　in　the　course　of
any　one　day。　Consequently　Mademoiselle　de　Pen…Hoel　put　into　this　game
（the　innocence　of　which　is　only　surpassed　in　the　nomenclature　of　the
Academy　by　that　of　La　Bataille）　a　passion　corresponding　to　that　of　the
hunters　after　big　game。　Mademoiselle　Zephirine；　who　went　shares　in　the
game　with　the　baroness；　attached　no　less　importance　to　it。　To　put　up
one　farthing　for　the　chance　of　winning　five；　game　after　game；　was　to
this　confirmed　hoarder　a　mighty　financial　operation；　into　which　she
put　as　much　mental　action　as　the　most　eager　speculator　at　the　Bourse
expends　during　the　rise　and　fall　of　consols。

By　a　certain　diplomatic　convention；　dating　from　September；　1825；　when
Mademoiselle　de　Pen…Hoel　lost　thirty…five　sous；　the　game　was　to　cease
as　soon　as　a　person　losing　ten　sous　should　express　the　wish　to　retire。
Politeness　did　not　allow　the　rest　to　give　the　retiring　player　the　pain
of　seeing　the　game　go　on　without　him。　But；　as　all　passions　have　their
Jesuitism；　the　chevalier　and　the　baron；　those　wily　politicians；　had
found　a　means　of　eluding　this　charter。　When　all　the　players　but　one
were　anxious　to　continue　an　exciting　game；　the　daring　sailor；　du
Halga；　one　of　those　rich　fellows　prodigal　of　costs　they　do　not　pay；
would　offer　ten　counters　to　Mademoiselle　Zephirine　or　Mademoiselle
Jacqueline；　when　either　of　them；　or　both　of　them；　had　lost　their　five
sous；　on　condition　of　reimbursement　in　case　they　won。　An　old　bachelor
could　allow　himself　such　gallantries　to　the　sex。　The　baron　also
offered　ten　counters　to　the　old　maids；　but　under　the　honest　pretext　of
continuing　the　game。　The　miserly　maidens　accepted；　not；　however；
without　some　pressing；　as　is　the　use　and　wont　of　maidens。　But；　before
giving　way　to　this　vast　prodigality　the　baron　and　the　chevalier　were
required　to　have　won；　otherwise　the　offer　would　have　been　taken　as　an
insult。

/Mouche/　became　a　brilliant　affair　when　a　Demoiselle　de　Kergarouet　was
in　transit　with　her　aunt。　We　use　the　single　name；　for　the　Kergarouets
had　never　been　able　to　induce　any　one　to　call　them　Kergarouet…Pen…
Hoel；not　even　their　servants；　although　the　latter　had　strict　orders
so　to　do。　At　these　times　the　aunt　held　out　to　the　niece　as　a　signal
treat　the　/mouche/　at　the　du　Guenics。　The　girl　was　ordered　to　look
amiable；　an　easy　thing　to　do　in　the　presence　of　the　beautiful　Calyste；
whom　the　four　Kergarouet　young　ladies　all　adored。　Brought　up　in　the
midst　of　modern　civilization；　these　young　persons　cared　little　for
five　sous　a　game；　and　on　such　occasions　the　stakes　went　higher。　Those
were　evenings　of　great　emotion　to　the　old　blind　sister。　The　baroness
would　give　her　sundry　hints　by　pressing　her　foot　a　certain　number　of
times；　according　to　the　size　of　the　stake　it　was　safe　to　play。　To　play
or　not　to　play；　if　the　basket　were　full；　involved　an　inward　struggle；
where　cupidity　fought　with　fear。　If　Charlotte　de　Kergarouet；　who　was
usually　called　giddy；　was　lucky　in　her　bold　throws；　her　aunt　on　their
return　home　（if　she　had　not　won　herself）；　would　be　cold　and
disapproving；　and　lecture　the　girl：　she　had　too　much　decision　in　her
character；　a　young　person　should　never　assert　herself　in　presence　of
her　betters；　her　manner　of　taking　the　basket　and　beginning　to　play　was
really　insolent；　the　proper　behavior　of　a　young　girl　demanded　much
more　reserve　and　greater　modesty；　etc。

It　can　easily　be　imagined　that　these　games；　carried　on　nightly　for
twenty　years；　were　interrupted　now　and　then　by　narratives　of　events　in
the　town；　or　by　discussions　on　public　events。　Sometimes　the　players
would　sit　for　half　an　hour；　their　cards　held　fan…shape　on　their
stomachs；　engaged　in　talking。　If；　as　a　result　of　these　inattentions；　a
counter　was　missing　from　the　basket；　every　one　eagerly　declared　that
he　or　she　had　put　in　their　proper　number。　Usually　the　chevalier　made
up　the　deficiency；　being　accused　by　the　rest　of　thinking　so　much　of
his　buzzing　ears；　his　chilly　chest；　and　other　symptoms　of　invalidism
that　he　must　have　forgotten　his　stake。　But　no　sooner　did　he　supply　the
missing　counter　than　Zephirine　and　Jacqueline　were　seized　with
remorse；　they　imagined　that；　possibly；　they　themselves　had　forgotten
their　stake；　they　believedthey　doubtedbut；　after　all；　the
chevalier　was　rich　enough　to　bear　such　a　trifling　misfortune。　These
dignified　and　noble　personages　had　the　delightful　pettiness　of
suspecting　each　other。　Mademoiselle　de　Pen…Hoel　would　almost
invariably　accuse　the　rector　of　cheating　when　he　won　the　basket。

〃It　is　singular；〃　he　would　reply；　〃that　I　never　cheat　except　when　I
win　the　trick。〃

Often　the　baron　would　forget　where　he　was　when　the　talk　fell　on　the
misfortunes　of　the　royal　house。　Sometimes　the　evening　ended　in　a
manner　that　was　quite　unexpected　to　the　players；　who　all　counted　on　a
certain　gain。　After　a　certain　number　of　games　and　when　the　hour　grew
late；　these　excellent　people　would　be　forced　to　separate　without
either　loss　or　gain；　but　not　without　emotion。　On　these　sad　evenings
complaints　were　made　of　/mouche/　itself；　it　was　dull；　it　was　long；　the
players　accused　their　/mouche/　as　Negroes　stone　the　moon　in　the　water
when　the　weather　is　bad。　On　one　occasion；　after　an　arrival　of　the
Vicomte　and　Vicomtesse　de　Kergarouet；　there　was　talk　of　whist　and
boston　being　games　of　more　interest　than　/mouche/。　The　baroness；　who
was　bored　by　/mouche/；　encouraged　the　innovation；　and　all　the　company
but　not　without　reluctanceadopted　it。　But　it　proved　impossible　to
make　them　really　understand　the　new　games；　which；　on　the　departure　of
the　Kergarouets；　were　voted　head…splitters；　algebraic　problems；　and
intolerably　difficult　to　play。　All　preferred　their　/mouche/；　their
dear；　agreeable　/mouche/。　/Mouche/　accordingly　triumphed　over　modern
games；　as　all　ancient　things　have　ever　triumphed　in　Brittany　over
novelties。

While　the　rector　was　dealing　the　cards　the　baroness　was　asking　the
Chevalier　du　Halga　the　same　questions　which　she　had　asked　him　the
evening　before　about　his　health。　The　chevalier　made　it　a　point　of
honor　to　have　new　ailments。　Inquiries　might　be　alike；　but　the　nautical
hero　had　singular