Although I might not yet be of an age to discuss politics with my
father, what I had heard him say led me to believe that his
Republican ideas had been much modified over the preceding two years,
and what he had experienced as a supposed guest of honour at
Cavaillon had severely shaken them, but he did not display any
ill-feeling on the subject of this banquet, and was even amused at
the anger of M. Gault, who said repeatedly, "I am not surprised that,
in spite of their cost, these scoundrels produced so many ortolans,
and ordered so many bottles of good wine! "

After spending a night at Aix, we left for Nice. This was the last
stage of our journey. While we were travelling through the mountain
and the beautiful forest of Esterel, we encountered the Colonel of
the 1st Hussars, who, escorted by an officer and several troopers,
was taking some lame horses, returned by the army, back to the depot
at Puy-en-Velay. This colonel was named M. Picart and had been given
his command because of his administrative ability. He was sent
frequently to the depot to arrange for the equipment of men and
horses, which he then forwarded to the fighting units, where he
appeared but rarely and did not stay for long.

When he saw Col. Picart, my father had the coach stopped and got
out, and after presenting me to my colonel, he took him on one side,
and asked him to name an intelligent and well educated
non-commissioned officer who might be made my mentor. The Colonel
named Sergeant Pertelay. My father made a note of the name, and we
continued on our way to Nice; where we found M.R*** settled in an
excellent hotel, with our coaches and horses in first-class order.