Seeing a branch of holly the trivial thought crossed her mind
that in this decisive moment, when she wished to appear in all her
beauty at the ball, she had no decoration for her hair; and she
gathered a tuft of the prickly leaves and shining berries with the
idea of wearing them.
"Ho! ho! my gun may miss fire on a duck, but on a Blue, never!" cried
Galope-Chopine, nodding his head in sign of satisfaction.
Marie examined her guide's face attentively, and found it of the type
of those she had just seen. The old Chouan had evidently no more ideas
than a child. A naive joy wrinkled his cheeks and forehead as he
looked at his gun; but a pious conviction cast upon that expression of
his joy a tinge of fanaticism, which brought into his face for an
instant the signs of the vices of civilization.
Presently they reached a village, or rather a collection of huts like
that of Galope-Chopine, where the rest of the congregation arrived
before Mademoiselle de Verneuil had finished the milk and bread and
butter which formed the meal. This irregular company was led by the
abbe, who held in his hand a rough cross draped with a flag, followed
by a gars, who was proudly carrying the parish banner. Mademoiselle de
Verneuil was compelled to mingle with this detachment, which was on
its way, like herself, to Saint-James, and would naturally protect her
from all danger as soon as Galope-Chopine informed them that the Gars
glove was in her possession, provided always that the abbe did not see
her.
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