Volume I Part 13 (1/2)
At that moment, a young bachelor, who had been in front of Master Hugonnet's house when Cedrille and his companion were blockaded there, and who had disappeared simultaneously with Bourriquet, returned to the shop, shouting:
”Ah! I know where the pretty girl has gone! I know what that charming Milanese came to Paris for!”
”You know that, boy!” cried the Chevalier Pa.s.sedix, running up to the young man. ”Oh! tell me quickly what you know, and I swear to you, by Roland and my G.o.dfather Chaudoreille, that I will treat you to a jar of wine at the next _fete carillonnee_.”
”I had just as lief tell you for nothing!”
”Well, tell me for nothing; I agree, I will consent to whatever you wish; but speak, I am dying with impatience!”
”While everybody else stood here in open-mouthed amazement at the sudden departure of the travellers, I followed the horse at a distance. He went at a fast trot, but I have good legs, and I am not broken-winded.”
”Arrive at the point, accursed chatterbox!”
”It was the travellers who arrived; that is to say, they stopped first to inquire the way of a dealer in pottery; then they trotted off again to Rue Saint-Honore and stopped in front of a fine house.”
”On Rue Saint-Honore! Are you sure of that? Why, sandis! that is my quarter; it could not happen better! But to whom does the house belong?”
”It was the Hotel de Mongarcin, where Mademoiselle Valentine de Mongarcin is now living with her aunt, Madame de Ravenelle.”
”Very good! this boy is no fool; go on.”
”All three of the travellers entered the courtyard--I say all three, counting the horse.”
”Go on, I say, sandioux!”
”As I was curious to know what they were going to do there, I strolled back and forth in front of the house.”
”That was very ingenious.”
”And, sure enough, before long came out an old servant who knows my father. I ran up to him and questioned him, and he said: 'That young girl has come here to enter the service of Mademoiselle Valentine de Mongarcin. She has been recommended to her, it seems; so it's all settled. As for the peasant who brought her here, he is going to rest a day or two and then go back to his province, unless he also prefers to find a place in Paris; but it seems that that is not to his taste.'--That is what I have learned.”
”Thanks! a thousand thanks, my boy! Hotel de Mongarcin, Rue Saint-Honore. I shall be seen frequently in that vicinity.--Sandis! I am sorry that she is only a lady's-maid. But, after all, Dulcinea del Toboso was not a princess; and whatever anyone may say, Don Quixote was a hearty blade, and as good a man as another.--Au revoir, my boy! I will treat you whenever you choose, you know.”
And Chevalier Pa.s.sedix walked away by Rue des Mathurins, and the young bachelor by Place Cambray.
After a day so well employed, it was natural enough that Master Hugonnet should visit his usual wine shop in the evening; and he did not fail to do so. Doubtless there was a large a.s.semblage of patrons, and the events of the morning, as they gave rise to much talk, naturally resulted in a proportionate amount of drinking.
The consequence was that Master Hugonnet returned home very late, completely drunk, and exceedingly susceptible to emotion, as he always was when in that condition.
Ambroisine, who was sitting up for her father, was not at all surprised by his state, and she urged him to go up to bed.
But Hugonnet had tears in his eyes, and he groaned mournfully as he stammered:
”Poor Lambourdin--it breaks my heart! Just imagine, daughter--he was shamefully beaten this morning!”
”I know it, father, and so do you, as it was you who beat him.”
”I! do you think so?--Oh! what a calamity!--my dear friend Lambourdin!