He stood thoughtful by the picture while the
little d'Aubepines were dancing in and out of the balcony, shrieking
about every figure they saw passing in the road below.
Sir Francis, after receiving us, had gone out, as he said, to see
what was going on, but I think he removed himself in order to leave
us more at our ease. By and by there was a knock at the door, and
who should come in but M. Darpent, leading a little boy of five or
six years old, his nephew, he said, whom Lady Ommaney had permitted
to bring to see the sight.
I heard afterwards that it was pretty to see the different ways of
the children, and how Maurice d'Aubepine drew himself up, put on his
hat, laid his hand on his ridiculous little sword, and insisted that
the little Clement Verdon should stand behind him and his sister,
where he could see nothing, while Gaspard de Nidermerle, with an
emphatic 'Moi, je suis getilhomme,' put the stranger before himself
and looked over his head, as he could easily do, being two or three
years older.
Well, I lost my chance; I never saw the great ox wreathed with
flowers, nor the little boy on his back, nor all the butchers with
their cleavers round him, nor the procession of the trades, the
fishwomen, dames des halles, as they called them, all in their white
caps and short petticoats, singing a ballad in honour of the Duke of
Beaufort, the faggot-carriers with sticks, the carpenters with tools,
all yelling out songs in execration of Cardinal Mazarin, who had
actually entered France with an army, and vituperating with equal
virulence the Big Beard, as they called the President Mole.
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