"No, Monsieur Choucru," he said sternly, "I will not let you ruin yourself by putting off till to-morrow what can only be done to-day. I have come here, Monsieur Choucru, to offer you fame. Fame and fortune, Monsieur Choucru!--and I will not suffer you, for the sake of a few miserable dinners, to turn your back upon the most brilliant moment of your life!"
"_Mais, M"sieur_--explain yourself" ... stammered the proprietaire.
"You know who I am, Monsieur Choucru?"
"No, M"sieur--not in the least."
"I am Muller--Franz Muller--landscape painter, portrait painter, historical painter, caricaturist, artist _en chef_ to the _Pet.i.t Courier Ill.u.s.tre_"
"_Hein! M"sieur est peintre_!"
"Yes, Monsieur Choucru--and I offer you my protection."
Monsieur Choucru scratched his ear, and smiled doubtfully.
"Now listen, Monsieur Choucru--I am here to-day in the interests of the _Pet.i.t Courier Ill.u.s.tre_. I take the Courbevoie fete for my subject. I sketch the river, the village, the princ.i.p.al features of the-scene; and on Sat.u.r.day my designs are in the hands of all Paris. Do you understand me?"
"I understand that M"sieur is all this time talking to me of his own business, while mine, _la bas_, is standing still!" exclaimed the proprietaire, in an agony of impatience. "I have the honor to wish M"sieur good-day."
But Muller seized him again, and would not let him escape.
"Not so fast, Monsieur Choucru," he said; "not so fast! Will you answer me one question before you go?"
"_Eh, mon Dieu_! Monsieur."
"Will you tell me, Monsieur Choucru, what is to prevent me from giving a view of the best restaurant in Courbevoie?"
Madame Choucru, from behind the _comptoir_, uttered a little scream.
"A design in the _Pet.i.t Courier Ill.u.s.tre_, I need scarcely tell you,"
pursued Muller, with indescribable pomposity, "is in itself sufficient to make the fortune not only of an establishment, but of a neighborhood.
I am about to make Courbevoie the fashion. The sun of Asnieres, of Montmorency, of Enghien has set--the sun of Courbevoie is about to rise.
My sketches will produce an unheard-of effect. All Paris will throng to your fetes next Sunday and Monday--all Paris, with its inexhaustible appet.i.te for _bifteck aux pommes frites_--all Paris with its unquenchable thirst for absinthe and Bavarian beer! Now, Monsieur Choucru, do you begin to understand me?"
"_Mais_, Monsieur, I--I think...."
"You think you do, Monsieur Choucru? Very good. Then will you please to answer me one more question. What is to prevent me from conferring fame, fortune, and other benefits too numerous to mention on your excellent neighbor at the corner of the Place--Monsieur Coquille of the Restaurant _Croix de Malte_?"
Monsieur Choucru scratched his ear again, stared helplessly at his wife, and said nothing. Madame looked grave.
"Are we to treat this matter on the footing of a business transaction, Monsieur!" she asked, somewhat sharply. "Because, if so, let Monsieur at once name his price for me...."
""PRICE," Madame!" interrupted Muller, with a start of horror. "Gracious powers! this to me--to Franz Muller of the _Pet.i.t Courier Ill.u.s.tre_!
"No, Madame--you mistake me--you wound me--you touch the honor of the Fine Arts! Madame, I am incapable of selling my patronage."
Madame clasped her hands; raised her voice; rolled her black eyes; did everything but burst into tears. She was shocked to have offended Monsieur! She was profoundly desolated! She implored a thousand pardons!
And then, like a true French-woman of business, she brought back the conversation to the one important point:--since money was not in question, upon what consideration would Monsieur accord his preference to the _Toison d" Or_ instead of to the _Croix de Malte_?
Muller bowed, laid his hand upon his heart, and said:--
"I will do it, _pour les beaux yeux de Madame_."
And then, in graceful recognition of the little man"s rights as owner of the eyes in question, he bowed to Monsieur Choucru.
Madame was inexpressibly charmed. Monsieur smiled, fidgeted, and cast longing glances towards the door.
"I have eighty dinners on hand," he began again, "and if M"sieur will excuse me...."
"One moment more, my dear Monsieur Choucru," said Muller, slipping his hand affectionately through the little man"s arm. "For myself, as I have already told you, I can accept nothing--but I am bound in honor not to neglect the interests of the journal I represent. You will of course wish to express your sense of the compliment paid to your house by adding your name to the subscription list of the _Pet.i.t Courier Ill.u.s.tre_?"
"Oh, by--by all means--with pleasure," faltered the proprietaire.
"For how many copies, Monsieur Choucru? Shall we say--six?"
Monsieur looked at Madame. Madame nodded. Muller took out his pocket-book, and waited, pencil in hand.
"Eh--_parbleu_!--let it be for six, then," said Monsieur Choucru, somewhat reluctantly.
Muller made the entry, shut up the pocket-book, and shook hands boisterously with his victim.
"My dear Monsieur Choucru," he said, "I cannot tell you how gratifying this is to my feelings, or with what disinterested satisfaction I shall make your establishment known to the Parisian public. You shall be immortalized, my dear fellow--positively immortalized!"
"_Bien oblige, M"sieur--bien oblige_. Will you not let my wife offer you a gla.s.s of liqueure?"
"Liqueure, _mon cher_!" exclaimed Muller, with an outburst of frank cordiality--"hang liqueure!--WE"LL DINE WITH YOU!"
"Monsieur shall be heartily welcome to the best dinner the _Toison d"Or_ can send up; and his friend also," said Madame, with her sweetest smile.
"Ah, Madame!"
"And M"sieur Choucru shall make you one of his famous cheese souffles.
_Tiens, mon bon_, go down and prepare a cheese souffle for two."
Muller smote his forehead distractedly.
"For two!" he cried. "Heavens! I had forgotten my aunt and my cousin!"
Madame looked up inquiringly.
"Monsieur has forgotten something?"
"Two somethings, Madame--two somebodies! My aunt--my excellent and admirable maternal aunt,--and my cousin. We left them sitting under a tree by the river-side, more than half an hour ago. But the fault, Madame, is yours."
"How, Monsieur?"
"Yes; for in your charming society I forget the ties of family and the laws of politeness. But I hasten to fetch my forgotten relatives. With what pleasure they will share your amiable hospitality! _Au revoir_, Madame. In ten minutes we shall be with you again!"
Madame Choucru looked grave. She had not bargained to entertain a party of four; yet she dared not disoblige the _Pet.i.t Courier Ill.u.s.tre_. She had no time, however, to demur to the arrangement; for Muller, ingeniously taking her acquiescence for granted, darted out of the room without waiting for an answer.