The priest led the way through a little shaded path at the back of the church; behind a farmhouse and up a slight acclivity, on the side of which the rocks in different places appeared through the green turf, and the crowd followed him at a respectful distance.
"And who is that with Father Jerome--who is the stranger, M. Chapeau?" said one and another of them, crowding round Jacques--for it soon got abroad among them, that Jacques Chapeau had seen the stranger in some of his former military movements in La Vendée. Chapeau was walking beside his mistress, and was not at all sorry of the opportunity of shewing off.
"Who is he, indeed?" said Jacques. "Can it be that none of you know M. d'Elbée?"
"D'Elbée!--d'Elbée!--indeed; no, then, I never heard the name till this moment," said one.
"Nor I," said another; "but he must be a good man, or Father Jerome would not walk with him just before performing mass."
"You are right there, Jean," said Jacques, "M. d'Elbée is a good man; he has as much religion as though he were a priest himself."
"And he must be a thorough royalist," said another, "or Father Jerome wouldn't walk with him at all."
"You are right, too, my friend; M. d'Elbée is a great royalist. He is the especial friend of our good Cathelineau."
"The friend of Cathelineau and of Father Jerome," said a fourth, "then I am sure M. d'Elbée must be something out of the common way."
"You are right again, he is very much out of the common way, he is one of our great generals," said Chapeau.
"One of our great generals, is he," said two or three at once. "I knew he was going to Saumur," said Jean, "or Father Jerome wouldn't have walked so peaceable with him, great as he may be."
"But if he is a great general," said Annot, "why has he no lace upon his coat; why doesn't he wear a sword and look smart like M. Larochejaquelin? At any rate he is a very shabby general."
"He has a terrible long nose too," said another girl. "And he has not a morsel of starch in his shirt ruffles, I declare," said a third, who officiated as laundress to the Mayor of Echanbroignes.
"I'm sure the republicans will never be afraid of such a general as he is. You are joking with us now, Jacques. I am sure he is not a general; he is more like a grocer from Nantes."