The heated stove had made his
sword, which rested on it, nearly red--hot.
All this while the quiet, plain--looking little man sat still. He now
rose; but I noticed that he had been fixing his eyes intently on me. I
thought I could perceive a tear glistening in them as he spoke.
"Marshal, will you intrust that boy to me?"
"Poo," said the Prince, still laughing, "take him--do what you will with
him;"--then, as if suddenly recollecting himself, "But, Mr----, you must
be answerable for him--he must be at hand if I want him."
The gentleman who had so unexpectedly patronized me rose, and said,
"Marshal, I promise."
"Very well," said Davoust. "Lafontaine, desire supper to be sent up."
It was brought in, and my new ally and I were shown out.
As we went down stairs, we looked into a room on the ground floor, at the
door of which were four soldiers with fixed bayonets. We there saw, for
it was well lit up, about twenty or five--and--twenty respectable--looking
men, very English in appearance, all to their long cloaks, an unusual sort
of garment to my eye at that time. The night was very wet, and the
aforesaid garments were hung on pegs in the wall all around the room,
which being strongly heated by a stove, the moisture rose up in a thick
mist and made the faces of the burghers indistinct.
They were all busily engaged talking to each other, some to his neighbour,
the others across the table, but all with an expression of the most
intense anxiety.
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