"Wait, take this purse; if you serve me zealously and faithfully, you will see that Julia is grateful."
The sight of a well-filled purse somewhat restored Chaudoreille"s resolution. He took the money, bowing nearly to the floor, and cried,--
"From this moment, I am entirely devoted to you; dispose of my arm, of my sword, of--"
"It is neither a question of your arm nor of your sword, it is of your eyes and your ears only that I have need. Be on the watch, make the barber talk, inform yourself of the slightest actions of the marquis, and come and give me an account of them. Let n.o.body have the least suspicion of you and that is all that is necessary to us. Go! and remember to inform me of the slightest circ.u.mstance if it has any connection with my love."
"You shall be obeyed," responded Chaudoreille, bowing humbly. Julia rang, the old woman arrived, and, at her mistress" signal, led the chevalier to the door without saying a word.
Once in the street, Chaudoreille breathed more freely.
"Zounds!" said he, "here I am in intrigues up to my neck; Julia"s agent, confidential man of the marquis, confidant of the barber, and, what is even more satisfactory, receiving money from all three of them. That"s doing pretty well. Hang it! this purse is well-filled. Tomorrow I will clothe myself entirely anew. I shall get some flesh-colored breeches that will make me look like an angel! But I mustn"t forget the most interesting item--the hundred pistoles that the marquis is to give me if Blanche pleases him--and I must go to the little house. O Fortune! you are treating me like a spoilt child, but it must be confessed that your favors are directed to a very adroit fellow."
While making these reflections, Chaudoreille had taken his course toward the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, arriving at the little house at eight o"clock in the evening. He rang nearly as loudly as the marquis, and Marcel on opening the door to him said,--
"You make as much noise as monseigneur."
"Apparently it is because I have a right to do so," responded the Gascon, entering with an impertinent manner; then, striding across the garden, he went immediately into the dining-room and threw himself on a seat, saying,--
"Has my friend, the marquis, been here since yesterday?"
"Your friend, the marquis," answered Marcel, opening his eyes wide.
"Why, yes, caitiff! Or the marquis, my friend, if that pleases you better."
"n.o.body has been here."
"And has he sent nothing for me?"
"Nothing."
"I must wait for him then. Serve supper quickly for me, all that you have of the best, some of your oldest wines, some liqueur. Come! go about it, in place of standing and looking at me like a statue."
"But what the devil is the matter with you?"
"Marcel, no reflections, I beg of you, and, if you wish to keep your place, render yourself worthy of my protection."
Marcel contented himself with smiling, then he laid the table and served the supper. Chaudoreille placed himself at table, Marcel did likewise.
"Your conduct is a little familiar," said the chevalier to him; "but, as we are alone, I may as well allow you to seat yourself near me--"
"That"s very fortunate."
"On condition that you serve me first, always."
During supper, Chaudoreille c.h.i.n.ked his money, counted his crowns, calculated what remained to him, and what he expected to receive. Marcel looked at him with surprise, saying,--
"Have you inherited some money?"
"Yes, I inherit like that very often. Zounds! if the marquis keeps his word with me, I shall be able to keep the pace."
The supper lasted long; Chaudoreille was so much preoccupied by his affairs that he did not dream of playing; however, midnight had struck, he had received no message from the marquis, and the chevalier"s hopes began to vanish. He sighed, listened and exclaimed,--
"He doesn"t come! If he should not have found her charming that would be very difficult for me. Zounds! in place of a hundred pistoles I should receive a hundred blows of a stick."
As his hope diminished, his impertinence became tempered and he clinked his gla.s.s against Marcel"s, saying,--
"To your health my dear and true friend, for you are my friend. Don"t talk to me about n.o.blemen of the court, no one can put any faith in them; my good Marcel, what a good cook he is and what a pleasure it is to me to drink with him."
"You don"t think now that I did so ill in seating myself at the table?"
"What! was I so unlucky as to say that to you?"
"Certainly."
"Me,--could I have said such a stupid thing?"
"Yes, there is no doubt of it."
"I was tipsy then, I"d lost my senses."
"I don"t know what you had lost, but you said it."
"Listen, Marcel! when I say such things as that to you, I give you permission to curse me."
"That"s all right, we"ll speak no more of it."
At that moment the bell of the gate was heard. Chaudoreille uttered an exclamation, half rose, and dropped on his chair again.
"That will be monseigneur," said Marcel, taking a light, and he ran to open the door, leaving his guest divided between fear and hope.
Marcel soon returned; he was alone, but he held a small roll which he placed on the table before Chaudoreille, and presented him with a paper on which somebody had written two lines in pencil, saying,--
"Here is what monseigneur has sent you; read it!"
Chaudoreille could not believe his eyes, he looked in turn at the roll, at the paper, and at Marcel.
"Why don"t you read it," said the latter to him.
Finally, he took the paper with a trembling hand, and read: "I have seen her; you have surpa.s.sed my hopes and I double the promised recompense."
"O my G.o.d, Marcel! he"s doubled the hundred pistoles."
"Then that makes two hundred; that is to say, that there is, in that roll, two thousand livres tournois in gold."
"Two thousand livres!"
"Well, what"s the matter with you now?"