After this, Mademoiselle de Verneuil, addressing the landlord, asked
to be shown to a room, saw the staircase, and disappeared with
Francine, leaving the stranger to discover whether her reply was
intended as an acceptance or a refusal.
"Who is that woman?" asked the Polytechnique student, in an airy
manner, of the landlord, who still stood motionless and bewildered.
"That's the female citizen Verneuil," replied Corentin, sharply,
looking jealously at the questioner; "a /ci-devant/; what is she to
you?"
The stranger, who was humming a revolutionary tune, turned his head
haughtily towards Corentin. The two young men looked at each other for
a moment like cocks about to fight, and the glance they exchanged gave
birth to a hatred which lasted forever. The blue eye of the young
soldier was as frank and honest as the green eye of the other man was
false and malicious; the manners of the one had native grandeur, those
of the other were insinuating; one was eager in his advance, the other
deprecating; one commanded respect, the other sought it.
"Is the citizen du Gua Saint-Cyr here?" said a peasant, entering the
kitchen at that moment.
"What do you want of him?" said the young man, coming forward.
The peasant made a low bow and gave him a letter, which the young
cadet read and threw into the fire; then he nodded his head and the
man withdrew.
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