A couple of men and two or three boys soon hurried round, and Peter was relieved from his charge, and courteously led into the servants' hall by Momont, the grey-headed old butler and favourite servant of the Marquis, and Jacques Chapeau, the valet, groom, and confidential factotum of Larochejaquelin.

Peter was soon encouraged to tell his tale, and to explain the mission which had brought him and his two companions to Durbelliere, and under ordinary circumstances the having to tell so good a tale would have been a great joy to him; but at the present moment Peter was not quite satisfied with his own position; why was the postillion in the salon while he was in the kitchen?
Peter usually was a modest man enough, and respectful to his superiors; the kitchen table in a nobleman's house would generally be an elysium to him; he had no idea that he was good enough to consort with Marquises and their daughters; but he did think himself equal to Cathelineau, the postillion, and as Cathelineau was in the salon, why should he be in the kitchen?
He quite understood that Cathelineau was thus welcomed, thus raised from his ordinary position in consequence of what he had done at St.Florent, but why shouldn't he, Berrier, be welcomed, and raised also?
He couldn't see that Cathelineau had done more than he had himself.

He was the first man to resist; he had been the first hero, and yet he was left for half an hour to lead about a horse, an ass, and an old mule, as though he were still the ostler at an auberge, and then he was merely taken into the servants' hall, and asked to eat cold meat, while Cathelineau was brought into a grand room upstairs to talk to lords and ladies; this made Peter fidgety and uncomfortable; and when he heard, moreover, that Cathelineau was to sup upstairs at the same table with the Marquis and the ladies, all his pleasure in the revolt was destroyed, he had no taste for the wine before him, and he wished in his heart that he had joined the troops, and become a good republican.

He could not bear the aristocratic foppery of that Cathelineau.
"And were you a conscript yourself, Peter Berrier ?" said Jacques Chapeau.
"Of course I was," said Peter.

"Why, haven't you heard what the revolt of St.Florent was about ?" "Well; we have heard something about it," said Momont; "but we didn't exactly hear your name mentioned." "You couldn't have heard much of the truth then," said Berrier.
"We heard," said Chapeau, "how good Cathelineau began by taking three soldiers prisoners." "I had twice more to do with those three prisoners than ever he had," said Peter.
"Well; we never heard that," said Momont.
"But we heard," said Chapeau, "how Cathelineau led a few of the townsmen against a whole regiment of soldiers, and scattered them through the town like chaff." "Scattered them like chaff!" said Peter.
"And we heard," said Momont, "how he stormed the barracks, slaughtered all the soldiers, and dragged the Colonel with his own hand through the barrack window." "Through the barrack window!" repeated Peter, with an air intended to throw discredit on the whole story.
"And we heard," said Gather's confidential maid, "how he laid his hand upon the cannon and charmed it, so that it would not go off, though the fiery torch was absolutely laid upon the gunpowder." "That the cannon wouldn't go off though the torch was laid upon the gunpowder!" said Peter.
"And we heard," said the cook, "how all the girls in the town came and crowned him with bay leaves; and how the priest blessed him." "And how the young made him their captain and their general," said the housekeeper.
"And how they christened him the Saviour of St.Florent," said the laundress.
"And gave him all the money in the town, and the biggest sword they could find," said the page.
"You heard all this, did you ?" said Peter Berrier.
"Indeed we did," said Jacques Chapeau, "and a great deal more from M.de Lescure's own man, who went back to Clisson only an hour since, and who had it all from one who came direct from St.Florent." "And you heard not a word of Peter Berrier ?" "Not a word, not a word," said they all at once.
"Then, friends, let me tell you, you have not heard much of the truth, although M.de Lescure's own man did see the man who came direct from St.Florent; I think I may say, without boasting, and I believe Monsieur the postillion upstairs will not be inclined to contradict me, that without me, there would have been no revolt.
"No revolt without you?
No revolt without Peter Berrier?
No revolt without M.Debedin's ostler ?" said they one after another.
"No--no revolt without M.Debedin's ostler, Madame." The last question had been asked by the cook.