Without altering his attitude a hair's-breadth, one leg in a silk
stocking advanced, his head twisted over his left shoulder, he
called out calmly, "This way, General. Pray approach. Well? I am all
attention."
While General D'Hubert, ill at ease as if one of his own little
weaknesses had been exposed, presented his request as shortly as
possible, the Duke of Otranto went on feeling the fit of his collar,
settling the lapels before the glass, and buckling his back in an effort
to behold the set of the gold embroidered coat-skirts behind. His still
face, his attentive eyes, could not have expressed a more complete
interest in those matters if he had been alone.
"Exclude from the operations of the Special Court a certain Feraud,
Gabriel Florian, General of brigade of the promotion of 1814?" he
repeated, in a slightly wondering tone, and then turned away from the
glass. "Why exclude him precisely?"
"I am surprised that your Excellency, so competent in the evaluation of
men of his time, should have thought worth while to have that name put
down on the list.
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