The dinner was served.  The success of my part depended on the manner in which it was played, and my wit has seldom been keener than during this meal.  The whole conversation was in a pleasant vein, and I took great care to give the governor’s wife opportunities for shining in it.  She was a charming and pretty woman, still quite youthful, for she was at least thirty years younger than the governor.  Nothing was said about my six hours’ stay in the guard-room, but at dessert the governor escaped speaking plainly by a joke that was not worth the trouble of making.

“You’re a nice man,” said he, “to think I was going to fight you.  Ah! ha!  I have caught you, haven’t I?”

“Who told you that I was meditating a duel?”

“Confess that such was the case?”

“I protest; there is a great difference between believing and supposing; the one is positive, the other merely hypothetical.  I must confess, however, that your invitation to take a walk roused my curiosity as to what was to come next, and I admire your wit.  But you must believe me that I do not regard myself as caught in a trap—­far from that, I am so well pleased that I feel grateful to you.”

In the afternoon we all took a walk, and I gave my arm to the charming mistress of the house.  In the evening I took my leave, and set out early the next day having made a fair copy of my report.

At five o’clock in the morning I was fast asleep in my carriage, when I was suddenly awakened.  We were at the gate of Amiens.  The fellow at the door was an exciseman—­a race everywhere detested and with good cause, for besides the insolence of their manners nothing makes a man feel more like a slave than the inquisitorial search they are accustomed to make through one’s clothes and most secret possessions.  He asked me if I had anything contraband; and being in a bad temper at being deprived of my sleep to answer such a question I replied with an oath that I had nothing of the sort, and that he would have done better to let me sleep.

“As you talk in that style,” said the creature, “we will see what we can see.”

He ordered the postillion to pass on with the carriage.  He had my luggage hauled down, and not being able to hinder him I fumed in silence.

I saw my mistake, but there was nothing to be done; and having no contraband goods I had nothing to fear, but my bad temper cost me two weary hours of delay.  The joys of vengeance were depicted on the features of the exciseman.  At the time of which I am writing these gaugers were the dregs of the people, but would become tractable on being treated with a little politeness.  The sum of twenty-four sous given with good grace would make them as supple as a pair of gloves; they would bow to the travellers, wish them a pleasant journey, and give no trouble.  I knew all this, but there are times when a man acts mechanically as I had done, unfortunately.

The scoundrels emptied my boxes and unfolded everything even to my shirts, between which they said I might have concealed English lace.