The White House Part 44

"Ah, yes! you mean parrots. They have had education; but Livy reports that an ox cried in the marketplace: 'Rome, beware!' Pliny says that a dog spoke when Tarquin was expelled from the throne; and if we are to believe Suetonius, a crow cried in the Capitol when Domitian was about to be a.s.sa.s.sinated: 'That is well done!' One of the horses of Achilles, named Xanthus, predicted to his master that he would die before Troy.

Lastly, Phryxus's ram spoke, as did the cows on Mount Olympus; and yet, messieurs, none of these beasts had ever received any education. Surely a man may do as much. My conclusion is that this vagabond has been in the service of some scholar, and that something of what he heard has stuck in his memory; for we masters of arts are like the sun, whose beams penetrate palace and garret alike.--Mademoiselle Cheval's salmis is excellent.--I have the honor to drink to the health of Monsieur de la Roche-Noire."

Alfred and Edouard had ceased to take part in the conversation; they were both absorbed by their thoughts. But Monsieur Ferulus, who seemed to have made up his mind to eat and drink and talk for the whole party, did not let the conversation flag, and took pains at every turn to throw some flattery or some compliment into the face of Robineau, who received it all with delight, and considered Monsieur Ferulus much more agreeable than his two friends. The schoolmaster had already attained his end; the atmosphere of the chateau was much pleasanter to him than that of his school, and toward the close of the dinner, in the fulness of his heart, he said:

"Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, I feel that I have imbibed a very strong attachment for you."

"Monsieur Ferulus," said Robineau bowing, "I beg you to believe that on my side----"

"Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, it came to me immediately when I saw you approaching on your donkey. There exists a secret sympathy between great men; and if you are great in birth and in worldly wealth, I flatter myself that I am in knowledge. I am a veritable well in the matter of learning! You must have a library in your chateau."

"I have one in the South Tower."

"In that case you absolutely must have a librarian."

"But the fact is that there are no books in the library."

"Never mind, we will put some in it. I will bring mine, all cla.s.sical works. You must realize, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, that a chateau without a library is like a dinner without soup, like a handsome man with only one eye, or a pretty woman who limps. Look you, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, do you know what I am capable of doing for you?--I have the honor of drinking to your health."

Robineau thought for some time, then replied:

"Faith, no, I can't imagine."

"If you can't imagine, I must explain to you; that is the way that the Sibyls always answered those who consulted them; and when they had expounded their oracle, ordinarily it was understood no better. But to return to the subject: you absolutely must have a librarian."

"But I thought that as----"

"No, you must have one first of all; and to be the depository of the learning which the Chateau of La Roche-Noire must contain, requires a profound, erudite, scholarly and modest man. Now I look about in vain over all the country within ten leagues, I see no other than myself who combines all these qualities; _consequentia consequentium_, I will be your librarian."

"Oh! Monsieur Ferulus----"

"I have the honor to drink to the health of Monsieur de la Roche-Noire.

Yes, I will leave everything, I will turn my pupils over to my sub-master; and I have five at this moment. But no matter! Money is nothing to me. Moreover, I have taken it into my head to make your name immortal, and I will do it. I will compose in your honor Greek, Latin, French and Hebrew verses; you shall be a Maecenas, an Augustus; I will be your Horace, your Virgil; and to make you immortal, I ask simply a salary of four hundred francs, with board and lodging."

Robineau considered that four hundred francs a year was not a high price to pay for becoming immortal, so he shook hands with Monsieur Ferulus and the bargain was concluded. The new librarian promised to come and take up his quarters at the chateau next day. They drank more b.u.mpers to the pleasure that they antic.i.p.ated in each other's society; and by dint of arguing about the advantages of knowledge, and of drinking to the health of the great men of antiquity, they ended by not knowing what they were saying. Alfred and Edouard had retired long since, and Robineau concluded to follow their example; but on attempting to rise from the table, he was surprised to find that he was dizzy and that his legs gave way. He rang for Francois to take him to his apartment, saying: "This is strange! Anyone would say that I was a little bit tipsy."

"Monsieur de la Roche-Noire," said Ferulus, trying to find his hat, "there is no harm in getting a little fuddled; Alexander the Great got tipsy sometimes, and our ancestors used to drink hard. In Germany, a man did not think that he had treated his guest in a friendly fashion, if he did not send him home drunk; and in Russia the Muscovites used to be so frantically fond of wine that when they could no longer swallow it, they took injections of it. When I become your house-guest, I hope that we shall reintroduce some of the customs of antiquity.--Until to-morrow, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire!"

Monsieur Ferulus left the chateau in almost the same condition in which Cunette and Vincent had left the ball; and Robineau flung himself upon his bed, with his head in a whirl, but overjoyed to think that there was some point of resemblance between himself and Alexander the Great.

XIV

LOVE HURTS FRIENDSHIP

The wish to see Isaure again had made both of the young men early risers; Robineau was still sleeping soundly when Edouard left his room and stole softly down the stairs leading to the courtyard. He made as little noise as possible, for he was afraid of waking Alfred; indeed, he was afraid of meeting him; he did not suspect that this time the young baron had stolen a march on him, and that he had left the chateau half an hour before.

On reaching the courtyard Edouard was stopped by Francois, who dared not wake his master and did not know what answer to make to the workmen who applied to him for orders concerning different repairs. Edouard spent a moment examining the work, gave some instructions, and succeeded at last in ridding himself of them all. But Francois had no sooner left him than the gardener came toward him, and begged him to take a look at the improvements which he had planned in the garden. There was no way to get rid of Monsieur Vincent without doing what he wished. Edouard went into the garden, declared everything charming, admirable, delightful; and while the gardener was still talking, left him there and hurried back from the garden to the courtyard. There the concierge was awaiting him; Monsieur Cunette was not tipsy, but he had already breakfasted, and he was in a loquacious mood; he absolutely insisted upon showing Edouard the cellars of the chateau; he had the keys in his hand and had already lighted the lantern.

"I don't want to see your cellars," said Edouard, pushing him aside, "show them to your master all you please, but I care nothing about making their acquaintance."

"Then monsieur must have changed his mind," said the concierge, putting the keys into his pocket.

"What do you mean by changed my mind?"

"Why, this morning your friend, Monsieur de Marcey, told us that you were determined to see the cellars, the gardens, and the works that were going on. He told us that we must show you everything."

"What! you have seen Alfred already? Where is he, pray?"

"Oh! he must be a long way off by this time if he is still going. To be sure, he took the big horse that was in the carriage yesterday, you know. Bless my soul! how he made him go!"

Edouard saw that it was Alfred who had set everybody upon him, to detain him in the chateau; he divined his motive, and his heart beat faster.

Alfred had determined to arrange for himself a tete-a-tete with Isaure, and he had feared that Edouard might find him there. What could he have to say in secret to that girl? Edouard guessed only too well, and he would have gladly given all that he possessed to be at the White House at that moment.

"Is there no way to find another horse?" he asked the concierge who was blowing out his lantern.

"A horse--to put in the carriage?"

"Why, no, to ride."

"Ah, I see what it is; monsieur wishes to join his friend. You will have hard work, for he has a long start, and then, you see, he rode so fast!"

"I ask you for a horse."

"Let me see; there is Nicolas, he has his little mare, that's lame. But never mind; she still has three legs that she works very handily."

"Go, fetch her for me! Here, take this money; but I beg you to make him hurry."

"So you really don't want to see the cellars to-day?"

"No, no! for heaven's sake, bring me a horse!"

The concierge hurried away, and Edouard paced the courtyard excitedly.

He realized how difficult it would be for him to prevent Alfred from going to see Isaure without him; he had no right, no reason to be offended with him; and yet his heart sank and his brain was in a whirl at the thought that another than himself was with the pretty goatherd and that that other might be making love to her.

Cunette returned at last, with Nicolas's mare, and Edouard jumped upon her back. As he was about to leave the chateau, Monsieur Ferulus entered it, carrying under one arm a small bundle containing his effects, and under the other a score of volumes, tied together with a cord, with which he proposed to start the library of the chateau.

"In the saddle already, my dear confrere!" said Monsieur Ferulus, stopping beside Edouard. "Oho! we are starting out very early in search of rhymes."

"'Oh! you who, burning with an ardor danger-fraught, Follow the th.o.r.n.y path of literature, Go not--'"

"Stand aside, Monsieur Ferulus, stand aside, I beg you! I am in a great hurry."

"I simply wanted to show you a very valuable book which I have under my arm. I found it among some old trash; it is a precious pearl for a scholar. But you must know it: _Aurum ex stercore Ennii_."

Edouard was not listening to Monsieur Ferulus; he urged his horse, and left the scholar untying his books in the middle of the courtyard.