He was, however, for other reasons glad to receive it.
"It is very well I have this letter," said he, "for until it came I had no scrap of writing whatever to show either to her Highness or, what I take to be more important, to her Highness's mother," and he went back to his poetry.
Misset and his wife, on the other hand, drove forward to the town of Colmar, where they bought a travelling carriage and the necessaries for the journey.

Misset left his wife at Colmar, but returned every twenty-four hours himself.

They made the excuse that Misset had won a deal of money at play and was minded to lay it out in presents to his wife.

The stratagem had a wonderful success at Schlestadt, especially amongst the ladies, who could do nothing day and night but praise in their husbands' hearing so excellent a mode of disposing of one's winnings.
O'Toole spent his month in polishing his pistols and sharpening his sword.

It is true that he had to persuade Jenny to bear them company, but that was the work of an afternoon.