These three
circumstances combined brought back the gallant soldier from Raab by
five o'clock in the afternoon.
The captain of the cuirassiers was not a little surprised to find the
general's wife playing cards with the hostile leader.
"General Guillaume agrees to everything," he announced immediately, on
entering the room. "He will release the ladies he has been holding as
prisoners."
Vavel hastened to shake hands with the bearer of these glad tidings, who
was, however, more eager to kiss the hand of Vavel's partner, and to
inquire:
"I hope I find the ladies perfectly comfortable?"
"Very comfortable indeed," replied madame. "_Messieurs les Cannibales_
are very polite, and _leur Catzique_ plays an excellent hand at piquet."
"And where is mademoiselle? I trust she is not suffering from the
fatigue of the journey?"
"Oh, no; she is very well. She is making her toilet, and will soon join
us. I hope we shall leave here very soon."
Madame now rose, and left the two soldiers alone in the room.
"Here," observed the French captain, handing Vavel a paper, "is the
_sauf conduit_."
The pass contained the information that "Vavel de Versay, expatriated
French nobleman and magnate of Hungary, together with the Countess
Themire Dealba (alias Baroness Katharina Landsknechtsschild) and Sophie
Botta (pretended Princess Marie Charlotte Capet), with attendants, were
to be allowed to travel unmolested by any French troops they might
chance to meet.
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