De Grammont’s brother, however, thus addressed the Chevalier:—­’Well, my little parson,’ said he, as they went home, ’you have acted your part to perfection; but now you must choose your career.  If you like to stick to the church, you will possess great revenues, and nothing to do; if you choose to go into the army, you will risk your arm or your leg, but in time you may be a major-general with a wooden leg and a glass eye, the spectacle of an indifferent, ungrateful court.  Make your choice.’

The choice, Philibert went on to relate, was made.  For the good of his soul, he renounced the church, but for his own advantage, he kept his abbacy.  This was not difficult in days when secular abbes were common; nothing would induce him to change his resolution of being a soldier.  Meantime he was perfecting his accomplishments as a fine gentleman, one of the requisites for which was a knowledge of all sorts of games.  No matter that his mother was miserable at his decision.  Had her son been an abbe, she thought he would have become a saint:  nevertheless, when he returned home, with the air of a courtier and a man of the world, boy as he was, and the very impersonation of what might then be termed la jeune France, she was so enchanted with him that she consented to his going to the wars, attended again by Brinon, his valet, equerry, and Mentor in one.  Next in De Grammont’s narrative came his adventure at Lyons, where he spent the 200 louis his mother had given Brinon for him, in play, and very nearly broke the poor old servant’s heart; where he had duped a horse-dealer; and he ended by proposing plans, similarly honourable, to be adopted for their present emergencies.

The first step was to go to head-quarters, to dine with a certain Count de Cameran, a Savoyard, and invite him to supper.  Here Matta interposed.  ‘Are you mad?’ he exclaimed.  ’Invite him to supper! we have neither money nor credit; we are ruined; and to save us you intend to give a supper!’

‘Stupid fellow!’ cried De Grammont.  ’Cameran plays at quinze:  so do I:  we want money.  He has more than he knows what to do with:  we give a supper, he pays for it.  However,’ he added, ’it is necessary to take certain precautions.  You command the Guards:  when night comes on, order your Sergent-de-place to have fifteen or twenty men under arms, and let them lay themselves flat on the ground between this and head-quarters.  Most likely we shall win this stupid fellow’s money.  Now the Piedmontese are suspicious, and he commands the Horse.  Now, you know, Matta, you cannot hold your tongue, and are very likely to let out some joke that will vex him.  Supposing he takes it into his head that he is being cheated?  He has always eight or ten horsemen:  we must be prepared.’

‘Embrace me!’ cried Matta, ’embrace me! for thou art unparalleled.  I thought you only meant to prepare a pack of cards, and some false dice.  But the idea of protecting a man who plays at quinze by a detachment of foot is excellent:  thine own, dear Chevalier.’