Part 72 (1/2)
Robineau returned; they started off again, and he lashed the horse as before. Ferulus tried to continue his declamation, but Robineau stopped him, saying:
”Later, my dear librarian; at dinner; I am in no condition to listen to you now. Love and happiness produce a peculiar effect upon my senses!
You don't know what that is; you have never married, perhaps?”
”I beg your pardon, monseigneur; I was married once, and I have had enough of it.”
”And you, Uncle Mignon, were you ever married?”
”I! no, I don't think so. Oh, no! no! that has never happened to me.”
”Ah! when one has a heart so easily touched as mine, it produces a complete revolution. My bride is a perfect Venus, she is built like Minerva; and when I think that to-night--I beg pardon--let us stop again, if you please.”
They stopped; Robineau alighted once more and glided behind a clump of trees. Monsieur Ferulus took a pinch of snuff, and cried:
”'_Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret!_'”
Robineau soon reappeared; they drove on, and tried to make up for lost time by whipping the horse; but he went none the faster for it, and the bridegroom was in despair.
”Monsieur le marquis will be terribly angry,” he said; ”I am sure that they are at the mayor's office already, and are waiting for us.
Messieurs, you are my witnesses that it is the horse's fault.”
”There is another cause, too,” said Ferulus to Mignon, ”but we will not mention that.”
They were within a fourth of a league of Saint-Amand, when Robineau called another halt and alighted again, crying out:
”This is really cruel! I don't know what it means!”
”Courage, monsieur!” said Ferulus: ”'_Labor improbus omnia vincit!_'”
”What on earth is the matter with him that he has to get out so often?”
Mignon asked Ferulus when Robineau was out of hearing.
”The matter with him! Why, haven't you guessed yet? Parbleu! he has a _bilis suffusio!_ he says it's the effect of love. At all events, if it lasts twenty-four hours, it will put him in a very false position!”
Robineau returned, reentered the carriage and they reached the town at last. The bridegroom inquired for his father-in-law's chariot, and was told that for more than half an hour, the bride, her relatives, and the whole company had been waiting for him at the mayor's office, and that they had already sent back two messengers to find out what could have become of him.
Robineau drove toward the mayor's office, las.h.i.+ng his horse and crying:
”What will they say to me? perhaps monsieur le marquis feels insulted!
And my bride! suppose that she should be angry with me! fortunately my friends are with her.”
They arrived at the mayor's office. The marquis was pacing the main hall with an angry expression; the young men were chatting with the ladies; Monsieur Berlingue had already made several epigrams upon the bridegroom's delay; the old annuitant did not utter a word, he saw in the future only the repast that he was to enjoy; and the Chevalier de Tantignac observed, to pacify Monsieur de la Pincerie:
”At the wedding of a cousin of mine, the bridegroom kept us waiting five minutes only; but when he arrived his betrothed had married another man, to teach him to be more prompt in the future.”
But Robineau appeared, followed by his two companions.
”Monsieur de la Roche-Noire,” cried the marquis, tapping the floor with his cane, ”do you know that it isn't decent to keep people like us waiting?”