The Indiscretion of the Duchess Part 5

Suzanne, with a readiness not born, I hope, of practice, came to the rescue with a clever suggestion.

"The English groom whom madame dismissed a week ago--" said she. "Why should not the gentleman pa.s.s as the groom? The man would not take his old clothes away, for he had bought new ones, and they are still here. The gentleman would put them on and walk past--_voila_."

"Can you look like a groom?" asked the d.u.c.h.ess. "If he speaks to you, make your French just a _little_ worse"--and she smiled.

They were all so calm and businesslike that it would have seemed disobliging and absurd to make difficulties.

"We can send your luggage soon, you know," said the d.u.c.h.ess. "You had better hide Mr. Aycon's luggage in your room, Suzanne. Really, I am afraid you ought to be getting ready, Mr. Aycon."

The point of view again! By virtue of the d.u.c.h.ess' calmness and Suzanne's cool readiness, the proceeding seemed a most ordinary one. Five minutes later I presented myself to the d.u.c.h.ess, dressed in a villainous suit of clothes, rather too tight for me, and wearing a bad hat rakishly c.o.c.ked over one eye. The d.u.c.h.ess surveyed me with great curiosity.

"Fortunately the duke is not a very clever man," said she. "Oh, by the way, your name's George Sampson, and you come from Newmarket; and you are leaving because you took more to drink than was good for you. Good-by, Mr.

Aycon. I do hope that we shall meet again under pleasanter circ.u.mstances."

"They could not be pleasanter--but they might be more prolonged," said I.

"It was so good of you to come," she said, pressing my hand.

"The carriage is but a quarter of a mile off!" cried Suzanne warningly.

"How very annoying it is! I wish to Heaven the Algerians had eaten the duke!"

"I shall not forget my day here," I a.s.sured her.

"You won't? It's charming of you. Oh, how dull it will be now! It only wanted the arrival of--Well, good-by!"

And with a final and long pressure of the d.u.c.h.ess' hand, I, in the garb and personality of George Sampson, dismissed for drunkenness, walked out of the gate of the _chateau_.

"One thing," I observed to myself as I started, "would seem highly probable--and that is, that this sort of thing has happened before."

The idea did not please me. I like to do things first.

CHAPTER IV.

The d.u.c.h.ess Defines Her Position.

I walked on at a leisurely pace; the heavy carriage was very near the top of the hill. In about three minutes' time we met. There sat alone in the carriage a tall dark man, with a puffy white face, a heavy mustache, and stern cold eyes. He was smoking a cigar. I plucked my hat from my head and made as if to pa.s.s by.

"Who's this?" he called out, stopping the carriage.

I began to recite my lesson in stumbling French.

"Why, what are you? Oh, you're English! Then in Heaven's name, speak English--not that gabble." And then he repeated his order, "Speak English," in English, and continued in that language, which he spoke with stiff formal correctness.

He heard my account of myself with unmoved face.

"Have you any writings--any testimonials?" he asked.

"No, my lord," I stammered, addressing him in style I thought most natural to my a.s.sumed character.

"That's a little curious, isn't it? You become intoxicated everywhere, perhaps?"

"I've never been intoxicated in my life, my lord," said I, humbly but firmly.

"Then you dispute the justice of your dismissal?"

"Yes, my lord." I thought such protest due to my original.

He looked at me closely, smoking his cigar the while.

"You made love to the chambermaids?" he asked suddenly.

"No, my lord. One evening, my lord, it was very hot, and--and the wine, my lord--"

"Then you were intoxicated?"

I fumbled with my hat, praying that the fellow would move on.

"What servants are there?" he asked, pointing to the house.

"Four maids, my lord, and old Jean."

Again he meditated; then he said sharply:

"Have you ever waited at table?"

We have all, I suppose, waited at table--in one sense. Perhaps that may save my remark from untruth.

"Now and then, my lord," I answered, wondering what he would be at.

"I have guests arriving to-morrow," he said. "My man comes with them, but the work will perhaps be too much for him. Are you willing to stay and help? I will pay you the same wages."

I could have laughed in his face; but duty seemed to point to seriousness.

"I'm very sorry, my lord--" I began.

"What, have you got another place?"

"No, my lord; not exactly."

"Then get up on the front seat. Or do you want your employers to say you are disobliging as well as drunken?"

"But the lady sent me--"