The Milkmaid of Montfermeil Part 81

Auguste stood some time in front of the house which the pretty Italian had entered; but at last, tired of staring at a door and windows that did not open, he returned to his hotel, saying to himself:

"She's an angel! she is ideally beautiful, the model of the Venus de Medici, of Girodet's Galatea, of Psyche, of Dido; and I must make the acquaintance of such charms."

The next day he went out to walk again, and again he saw the two ladies.

Grown bolder, he approached them and, as a stranger, asked the older one for information concerning the first thing that his eyes fell upon. She answered courteously, and the young woman, without joining in the conversation, turned her beautiful eyes on the Frenchman from time to time. The old lady, who was very talkative, soon informed the young Frenchman that her name was Signora Falenza, and that her companion was her niece Cecilia; that they were far from rich, and for that reason lived in a retired quarter, and that they let a portion of their lodgings when they had applications from quiet and orderly people, because that enabled them to increase their slender income a little.

The old woman had not finished speaking when Auguste asked her to let the little apartment to him.

"I have come to Italy to study painting," he said, "and I have rather neglected it; I have n.o.body with me but an old soldier, and we are as orderly as young ladies. I flatter myself that you will have no cause to regret having us for tenants."

Signora Falenza made some objections; but Auguste was so urgent that she consented to show him the apartment. It consisted of two rooms, rather shabbily furnished; to be sure, the price asked was very moderate.

Auguste expressed himself as delighted; he was satisfied with everything, and, after casting a pa.s.sionate glance at the fair Cecilia, he hurried away to make his arrangements to return the same evening and take up his abode beneath the same roof with the two ladies.

"Pack our valises and pay our bill, Bertrand; we are going to move."

"Are we going to leave Turin, monsieur?"

"Oh, no, my friend; I am more pleased with it than ever!"

"In that case, why do we leave this hotel, where we are well accommodated, and at not too high a price?"

"For economy's sake, Bertrand; I have found much pleasanter lodgings, which will cost only half as much; I trust that you won't find fault with me this time."

Bertrand frowned and muttered:

"There's a petticoat under this, I'll wager."

However, he packed the valises, paid the bill, and followed his master, who led the way to the suburb.

"We don't seem to be moving into the fashionable quarter, monsieur,"

said Bertrand.

"What do we care, so long as the lodgings suit us?"

"True."

"See, there's the house."

"It's a long way from any other. Do you remember that we're in Italy, monsieur? It looks to me like a cut-throat sort of place."

"Do you mean that you're afraid, Bertrand?"

"Oh, lieutenant!"

"You are growing absurdly suspicious. This is a very pleasant house; the outlook is on fields and gardens. It's very quiet here, and that is what I like."

"Ah! you like quiet now, do you?"

"Very much."

Auguste knocked. The door was opened by Signora Falenza, at sight of whom Bertrand said to himself:

"If there's only faces like this one here, we shall certainly be very quiet."

The old woman escorted the strangers to their rooms, showing them every courtesy. As they pa.s.sed through a pa.s.sageway they met the fair Cecilia, who bowed pleasantly to the young Frenchman. Whereupon Bertrand heaved a sigh and thought:

"This is the economy the lieutenant mentioned!"

The travellers being installed in their apartment, Signora Falenza left them, saying:

"When you gentlemen wish for anything, you need only come to my room; my niece and I will hasten to offer our services."

"In that case," thought Auguste, "I hope that I shall frequently have occasion to seek them."

Bertrand inspected the two rooms, and at each object that he examined, frowned and muttered:

"This is very nice!"

"Isn't it, Bertrand?"

"Yes, indeed! a wretched bed and no pillows!"

"So much the better! we will go and ask for one."

"Two broken chairs!"

"So much the better! I'll go and change them."

"Closets that won't lock!"

"Bah! they're good enough for what we have to put in them."

"A desk that I can't find any key to!"

"I'll go and ask the ladies for it."

"Not a candlestick on the mantel!"

"The ladies will give us one."

"Not even a jar of water."

"Perhaps it isn't the custom in the country."

"Well! it's a very clean custom that don't allow a person to wash his hands! In fact, monsieur, we lack everything here."

"We shall lack nothing if we ask the ladies for it."

"The ladies! the ladies!"