"Arretez! Qui va là?"
"Friends!"
"Who are you? Identify yourselves!"
"I am Colonel en Second Murray, of la régiment de la Garde à Cheval d'Écossais Royale!"
"That is not the uniform of les Écossais, it is an Englishman's coat!"
"I do not have to explain myself to you, soldier!"
"M'sieur, I am desolated, but unless you do explain yourself, then I cannot allow you to pass! It is regrettable, but it is my duty, you understand."
"And, if I should ignore you and your demmed duty?"
"Then, alas M'sieur, I should find it necessary to call out the Garde, and then, most unfortunately, I should be compelled to shoot you! But, M'sieur, we all reasonable men, are we not? There is a way around this impasse; If you will have the goodness to remain here, I shall summon my officier, and then we may all, once again be comfortable with each other. You shall not be shot, and I shall have performed my duty."
"Very well, then. Call your officer."
"Friends!"
"Who are you? Identify yourselves!"
"I am Colonel en Second Murray, of la régiment de la Garde à Cheval d'Écossais Royale!"
"That is not the uniform of les Écossais, it is an Englishman's coat!"
"I do not have to explain myself to you, soldier!"
"M'sieur, I am desolated, but unless you do explain yourself, then I cannot allow you to pass! It is regrettable, but it is my duty, you understand."
"And, if I should ignore you and your demmed duty?"
"Then, alas M'sieur, I should find it necessary to call out the Garde, and then, most unfortunately, I should be compelled to shoot you! But, M'sieur, we all reasonable men, are we not? There is a way around this impasse; If you will have the goodness to remain here, I shall summon my officier, and then we may all, once again be comfortable with each other. You shall not be shot, and I shall have performed my duty."
"Very well, then. Call your officer."
- - - - - - - - - - -
"Bonjour, M'sieur."
"'Morning, Capitaine."
"M'sieur, my sentinel tells me that you claim to be a Colonel en Second in the the army of His Most Christian Majesty, but that he, the sentinel, not His Majesty, being an ill-educated fellow, cannot understand why you wear the coat of our English enemies, and that you decline to enlighten him. So you see me. Now, M'sieur, I confess to owning a considerable degree of curiosity - yes, I know, a lamentable flaw in my character, but what would you? So, M'sieur, I should be eternally in your debt if you were to take upon yourself the burden of explaining your habillement and indeed your presence."
"Capitaine, I have little time, and very little patience with foolishness! I have been engaged on the business of my own King, His Majesty King James the Second of Britain and Ireland! He is, I take the liberty to remind you, an ally of your own King!"
"Ah, but of course! Monseignieur le Duc de Normande! But, M'sieur, I reget that a repetition of that gentleman's titles does little to establish your credentials. I have no great desire to inconvenience you, M'sieur, but alas, without verification, I cannot permit you to pass. It is most regrettable, M'sieur, but it is the war, you understand. I must have verification from your régiment. Pray, M'sieur, be good enough to furnish me with the name of an officier of your Corps who shall be able to recognise you, and I will, with all haste, send for him. Then M'sieur, I invite you to accompany me to my humble quarters, there we can drink wine, while we wait for your guarantor."
"And if I shall feel disinclined to accept your invitation?"
"M'sieur, may I take the liberty of reminding you that you have but six men, while I, however indelicate it may be to boast, have twice that number at hand and ten times that number on whom I may call?"
"Very well, Capitaine, I needs must yield to force majeure, but Capitaine, I shall not forget this insult!"
"'Morning, Capitaine."
"M'sieur, my sentinel tells me that you claim to be a Colonel en Second in the the army of His Most Christian Majesty, but that he, the sentinel, not His Majesty, being an ill-educated fellow, cannot understand why you wear the coat of our English enemies, and that you decline to enlighten him. So you see me. Now, M'sieur, I confess to owning a considerable degree of curiosity - yes, I know, a lamentable flaw in my character, but what would you? So, M'sieur, I should be eternally in your debt if you were to take upon yourself the burden of explaining your habillement and indeed your presence."
"Capitaine, I have little time, and very little patience with foolishness! I have been engaged on the business of my own King, His Majesty King James the Second of Britain and Ireland! He is, I take the liberty to remind you, an ally of your own King!"
"Ah, but of course! Monseignieur le Duc de Normande! But, M'sieur, I reget that a repetition of that gentleman's titles does little to establish your credentials. I have no great desire to inconvenience you, M'sieur, but alas, without verification, I cannot permit you to pass. It is most regrettable, M'sieur, but it is the war, you understand. I must have verification from your régiment. Pray, M'sieur, be good enough to furnish me with the name of an officier of your Corps who shall be able to recognise you, and I will, with all haste, send for him. Then M'sieur, I invite you to accompany me to my humble quarters, there we can drink wine, while we wait for your guarantor."
"And if I shall feel disinclined to accept your invitation?"
"M'sieur, may I take the liberty of reminding you that you have but six men, while I, however indelicate it may be to boast, have twice that number at hand and ten times that number on whom I may call?"
"Very well, Capitaine, I needs must yield to force majeure, but Capitaine, I shall not forget this insult!"
2 comments:
Slowly the fog begins to thin a bit . . . perhaps it will even lift . . . but who really knows?
Weather can be so unpredictable.
-- Jeff
Aaarh, the Wether be quite fickle!"
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