Dismounting here, their
horses were led on into the stable under the same roof, and
imperfectly separated from the kitchen by a rude wall.
The people of the house, an old man and two women, sat staring at them
without making any hospitable demonstrations. So L'Isle made the first
advances, and, addressing them with a studied courtesy that seemed
ironical to the ladies, awakened them somewhat to a sense of their
duty to the wayfarers. Seats were got for the ladies on one side of
the huge fire-place, in which some embers were smouldering, and L'Isle
placed two cork stools to raise their feet above the damp pavement of
flat stone. On the young friar's now coming forward (for with a
modesty rare in his order he had hitherto kept in the background),
L'Isle resumed his sociable conversation with him, and accepted the
proffered pinch of snuff, that olive-branch of the Portuguese. This
evidently had a good effect on their hosts; while Shortridge was
surprised to see the colonel, whose _hauteur_ he had himself felt,
demean himself by familiarity with these low people. He did not know
that a proud man, if his be generous pride, is apt to keep it for
those who assume superiority, or at least equality, with himself.
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