Chapter 7

In Alsatian French，he invited the travelers to come in，saying in a suave tone：“Will you descend，gentlemen and ladies？”

The two good sisters were the first to obey，with the docility of saints accustomed ever to submission．The Count and Countess then appeared，followed by the manufacturer and his wife；then Loiseau，pushing ahead of him his larger half．The last－named，as he set foot on the earth，said to the officer：“Good evening，sir，”more as a measure of prudence than politeness．The officer，insolent as all powerful people usually are，looked at him without a word．

Ball-of-Fat and Cornudet，although nearest the door，were the last to descend，grave and haughty before the enemy．The fat girl tried to control herself and be calm．The democrat waved a tragic hand and his long beard seemed to tremble a little and grow redder．They wished to preserve their dignity，comprehending that in such meetings as these they represented in some degree their great country，and somewhat disgusted with the docility of her companions，the fat girl tried to show more pride than her neighbors，the honest women，and，as she felt that some one should set an example，she continued her attitude of resistance assumed at the beginning of the journey．

They entered the vast kitchen of the inn，and the German，having demanded their traveling papers signed by the General－in－chief（in which the name，the description，and profession of each traveler was mentioned），and having examined them all critically，comparing the people and their signatures，said：“It is quite right，”and went out．

Then they breathed．They were still hungry and supper was ordered．A half hour was necessary to pre-pare it，and while two servants were attending to this they went to their rooms．They found them along a corridor which terminated in a large glazed door．

Finally，they sat down at table，when the proprietor of the inn himself appeared．He was a former horse merchant，a large，asthmatic man，with a constant wheezing and rattling in his throat．His father had left him the name of Follenvie．He asked：

“Is Miss Elizabeth Rousset here？”

Ball－of－Fat started as she answered：“It is I．”

“The Prussian officer wishes to speak with you immediately．”

“With me？”

“Yes，that is，if you are Miss Elizabeth Rousset．”

She was disturbed，and reflecting for an instant，declared flatly：

“That is my name，but I shall not go．”

A stir was felt around her；each discussed and tried to think of the cause of this order．The Count approached her，saying：

“You are wrong，Madame，for your refusal may lead to considerable difficulty，not only for yourself，but for all your companions．It is never worth while to resist those in power．This request cannot assuredly bring any danger；it is，without doubt，about some forgotten formality．”

Everybody agreed with him，asking，begging，be seeching her to go，and at last they convinced her that it was best；they all feared the complications that might result from disobedience．She finally said：

“It is for you that I do this，you understand．”

The Countess took her by the hand，saying：“And we are grateful to you for it．”

She went out．They waited before sitting down at table．

Each one regretted not having been sent for in the place of this violent，irascible girl，and mentally pre-pared some platitudes，in case they should be called in their turn．

But at the end of ten minutes she reappeared，out of breath，red to suffocation，and exasperated．She stammered：“Oh！the rascal；the rascal！”

All gathered around to learn something，but she said nothing；and when the Count insisted，she responded with great dignity：“No，it does not concern you；I can say nothing．”

Then they all seated themselves around a high soup tureen，whence came the odor of cabbage．In spite of alarm，the supper was gay．The cider was good，the beverage Loiseau and the good sisters took as a means of economy．The others called for wine；Cornudet demanded beer．He had a special fashion of uncorking the bottle，making froth on the liquid，carefully filling the glass and then holding it before the light to better appreciate the color．When he drank，his great beard，which still kept some of the foam of his beloved beverage，seemed to tremble with tenderness；his eyes were squinted，in order not to lose sight of his tipple，and he had the unique air of fulfilling the function for which he was born．One would say that there was in his mind a meeting，like that of affinities，between the two great passions that occupied his life-Pale Ale and Revolutions；and assuredly he could not taste the one without thinking of the other．