Alfred de Rosann by G.W.M. Reynolds — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Alfred de Rosann. 107 listen. I renewed all my plaintive and touching representations, declared I was a soldier who had been at Algiers, and had just returned from a dreadful campaign. The little girl, with a certain comical expression of countenance, asked me if the province of Madagascar were not in a state of revolution, and if the king of China had not made war against the French. These questions startled me a little—but supposing that the news were authentic, that the little girl had heard of them by some means or other, and that an old soldier should not be ignorant of such important olitical events, I replied boldly in the affirmative, adding that I had myself been employed against the Chinese. The girl smiled, and renewed her questions, which were more extraordinary than the others; namely, ‘whether I had seen the king of China, whether he did not stand ten feet high, and whether his cattle were not dressed in steel jackets and wadded pelisses?? I began to fancy that the child had a mind to banter me, and accordingly thought to humour her whims by continually answering yes to every thing she said. In the middle of the conversation a sturdy peasant came up, and was saluted by the name of‘ Father’ on the part of the little girl. He asked my business; I told him the same tale I had already narrated to his daughter and the old woman; and the mis- chievous Jeannette—for so her father called her—added all the wonders about the Chinese, Madagascar, et cetera, et cetera. When she had concluded, I looked towards the peasant to ascertain the impression such marvels had made upon him; but he turned sharply round, muttered a remark about the increase of liars in the world, and told me to go to the devil, as coolly as I am now talking to you.” De Rosann and Belle-Rose had hitherto maintained a certain gravity during the latter part of Champignon’s recital: but when e mentioned the indignation of the cottager, whom they both recognised as the Draconic Claude, it was impossible to suppress their laughter any longer. Champignon thought it was occasioned by the singularity of his adventures, and joined in the mirth of his companions till tears ran down his cheeks. «You may suppose that I was not very well pleased with the answer of the brutal peasant to my courteous sanguage, continued Champignon, when order was re-established in the stable—for the reader must not forget where this narrative was told: “ but I was obliged to retire from the cottage, although not to visit the black gentleman to whom I was so uncivilly recommended. The whole of that weary day did I wander about the wood, and at night-fall, just as I had made up my mind to emerge into the open fields, a sudden rustling amongst the leaves, succeeded by violent shouts of laughter, made me again take to a rapid flight and conceal myself for another hour. When those sixty long minutes had expired I sallied forth once more; and after a tolerably tedious walk, I at length came to a large cottage, where lights were still burning. I knocked, and was this time received with civility, if not with absolute kindness. According to my native modesty, I merely requested an outhouse, or the pigstye, to sleep in, naturally ex- COnicbooolks (GO)