The Bath Keepers Volume I Part 21

"Well, well! pardi! that was a curious idea; to twist pork round a sword! But didn't you notice it when you drew your sword from the sheath?"

"What do you expect?--in the heat of battle, when it is a question of saving a lovely girl and an excellent youth, one does not amuse one's self examining one's sword hilt.--However, it's all over, we were victors, and, thanks to my a.s.sistance, you were able to continue your journey. I trust that you reached the safe harbor for which you were bound?"

"Yes, seigneur chevalier. Mon Dieu! my cousin is already settled in the Hotel de Mongarcin."

"Ah! that charming little brunette whom you had _en croupe_ is your cousin?"

"To be sure! my mother and I, we are the only relations she has."

"Well! I congratulate you; you have a charming cousin; and, in fact, now that I look at you--yes, there is a resemblance, at the corners of the mouth."

"You are the first person who ever thought that I resembled Miretta.--Ah! jarni! there's holes here. If it hadn't been for you, monsieur le chevalier, I believe I should have fallen full length in the street."

"You must have turned your foot."

"Yes; and then, my head is in the same fix."

"Hold fast to me; don't be afraid to lean on me. I am made of iron, of steel."

"For my part, I feel as if my legs were made of cotton; it's because I've had so much to drink. Oh! what famous wines! How polite those liveried servants are! they kept filling my gla.s.s for me.--Ha! hold me up!"

"They filled you, finally. So it was the servants at the Hotel de Mongarcin who treated you so well?"

"To be sure.--By the way, did I tell you that I came to Paris to bring Miretta to Mademoiselle de Mongarcin?"

"You must have told me, as I know it."

"To be sure, that's so; as you know it, I must have told you.--Bah!

there's another hole; and then, I don't know whether it's because I am dizzy, but it seems to me that I can't see very plain."

"Oh! that is no mistake; it is growing dark. Look you, it is after half-past seven. Where were you going, my worthy man, my dear fellow, when I met you?--Sandis! I know your name, but it doesn't come to my lips."

"Cedrille, at your service."

"Cedrille--that's it.--Whither were you bending your steps, my good Cedrille?"

"I--mon Dieu! I don't know; you see, Monsieur le Chevalier--what d'ye call it--what _is_ your name?"

"Castor Pyrrhus de Pa.s.sedix."

"Oh! those names are pretty hard to remember. Must I say them all?"

"No! call me Pa.s.sedix; that will be enough."

"Ah! good! Pa.s.se--six."

"No, no! deuce take it! Pa.s.sedix, not _six!_ You cut me down four points!"

"That makes no difference! Well, monsieur le chevalier, I came away from the house because I felt as if I needed the fresh air--and then, to see a little of Paris, which I don't know at all."

"In that case, my friend Cedrille--will you allow me to call you my friend? When two people have met on the field of battle, it seems to me that that brings them together at once. Brave men understand each other at a glance."

"You are very polite! It's a great honor to me, Chevalier Pa.s.se--Pa.s.se----"

"Dix.--Well, to return to our subject, if you will permit me, dear friend, I will be your pilot, your guide, this evening. But I shall not be able to show you what Paris contains in the way of beautiful and interesting churches, palaces, squares, and promenades, for the reason that it is dark, and, none of those lovely things being lighted, you would see nothing and your steps would be wasted."

"Then you can't take me anywhere to-night? The deuce! that's a pity, for I feel just in the mood to enjoy myself. I don't want to go home to bed already, for I am not in the least sleepy."

Pa.s.sedix, who had had nothing to eat during the day except the two eggs he had swallowed so rapidly before his landlady's eyes, pa.s.sed his hand across his forehead and, after pretending to reflect a moment, cried:

"Yes, yes, cadedis! we will enjoy ourselves this evening. If we go along Rue Saint-Honore, we shall find, just before we reach the Couvent des Capucines, a certain wine shop, the resort of l.u.s.ty blades, good fellows like you and me; the curfew has not rung yet, so it will still be open; and even if the doors were closed, the habitues always have a way of gaining admission. Moreover, the keeper of the Loup de Mer--that is the name of the place--is an old soldier, an ex-trooper, who has friends in the watch--and they allow him to keep his guests later; indeed, I know some who pa.s.s the whole night there. Forward, my good friend, and let us betake ourselves to the Loup de Mer!"

"All right; I will go I don't care where to-night, provided that we have some sport."

"But I tell you that this wine shop is frequented by all the jovial blades and lovers of the s.e.x in Paris. And then, it has a famous name for omelets _au lard_; they are excellent there. I once ate a dozen at a sitting; it was a wager, and I won it in a trice."

"Ah! they make omelets _au lard_, do they?" muttered the Bearnais peasant, shaking his head; "what a pity that I ain't hungry! But I ate so much at the house that I couldn't eat a mouthful, on my word! I would much rather see something besides omelets."

"If you are not hungry, you must be thirsty; good fellows are always thirsty."

"Oh! as for drinking, why, I'll drink some more, although I have had a good deal now."

"That doesn't matter; you will drink, and I will eat and drink with you; we will play cards, we will sing, we will pa.s.s a delightful evening.--Lean upon me--steady now, and forward!"

Cedrille suffered himself to be led away, and, his companion almost carrying him, they soon reached the Loup de Mer.

It would have been useless in those days to seek in taverns the blaze of light which dazzles our eyes to-day when we enter a cafe; a smoky lamp or two lighted but dimly the room and the drinkers; but the latter, being accustomed to nothing better, found the place where they a.s.sembled very much to their liking, so there was always a numerous company at the Loup de Mer; it was not so select as the Chevalier Pa.s.sedix had tried to persuade Cedrille; but, by way of compensation, it was very hilarious and animated, and, above all, exceedingly noisy.

Almost all the tables were occupied, and covered with pewter pots and goblets; they were not so pretty to look at as our bottles and gla.s.ses, but they were less fragile.

Not without difficulty did Pa.s.sedix succeed in finding an unoccupied end of a table and in obtaining two stools. Although an habitue of the place, the chevalier did not seem to be greeted with great cordiality, and the first words of the waiter to whom he applied were:

"There's no more room, monsieur le chevalier; it isn't worth while for you to come in."

But the Gascon, pushing aside the waiter, who was standing in front of him, glared savagely around the room and cried:

"Ah! there's no room, eh?--Capedebious! we will see about that! There must always be room for me and my friends! and, at need, Roland will find a way to make room!"

"Let Monsieur de Pa.s.sedix come in," said a woman of uncertain age, who sat at the desk; and she added, with a slight shrug of her shoulders: "if you don't, you know that he will make a scene, pick a quarrel with someone, and end by bringing the watch here."

"Well! I only said what the master ordered me to say," muttered the waiter, sulkily.

But meanwhile our Gascon had found a corner at a table, and had established himself there with Cedrille. The latter tried to look about; but the crowd, the noise, the heat, and the fumes of wine that filled the room, added to his intoxication instead of sobering him.

"Poussinet! Poussinet!" cried the chevalier, hammering the table with his sword hilt; "come here, knave! are you deaf to-night?"

The waiter approached, making a grimace, and stared at Cedrille as if he were a strange beast.

"Come, Poussinet, listen carefully to my orders. You will serve us an omelet of fifteen eggs, with half of a small ham inside; also, a large jug of your best, and some fresh bread if possible."