Volume III Part 42 (2/2)
After passing an hour in these lascivious coirls four ducats, paid for the provisions we had consu to bed cross with ed in such brutal pleasures
NextI awoke late and in a bad huacy depresses as well as degrades the lected Esther, who had unquestionably been grieved by my absence I felt that Icertain that I should find some excuses tofor Le Duc, put on own, and sent him for my coffee He had scarcely left the room when the door opened and I saw Perine and the fellow named Wiedan, whom I had seen at Piccolomini's, and who styled hi on s My apartments consisted of three fine rooms, but they were at the back of the house, and all the noise I could have made would not have been heard The bell was on the other side of the rooone fully tenassassinated without the possibility of self-defence
The above thoughts flashed throughspeed, and all that I could do was to keep calentlemen, what can I do for you?” Wiedan took upon himself to answer me
”Count Piccolomini has found hied bill from us, in order that he may escape from the difficult position in which your denunciation placed hi to do so, and we must escape forthwith if ant to avoid prosecution We have not a penny; we are desperate entlemen, what have I to do with that?”
”Give us four hundred florins immediately; we do not want more, but we must have that ht with everything of yours that we can lay our hands on; and our arguments are these”
With this, each man drew a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at my head
”You need not have recourse to violence,” said I, ”it can only be fatal to you Stay, here are a hundred ducats one, and I wish you a pleasant journey, but I would not be here when my servant comes back if I were you”
Wiedan took the roll ofhand and put it in his pocket without exaenerosity, would have put his arms around my neck and kissed me I repulsed hi lad to have rid myself of them at so cheap a rate
As soon as I was out of this snare I rang et dressed as quickly as possible I did not say a word to Le Duc about what had happened, I was silent even to my landlord; and, after I had sentthere that day, I went to the chief of police, but had to wait two hours before I could see him As soon as the worthy man had heard my account of my misfortune he said he would do his best to catch the two rascals, but he did not conceal from me his fears that it was already too late
I took the opportunity of telling him of Piccolomini's visit toso, and promised to see to it; but he advised uard and ready to defend myself in case I was attacked before he could place my enemies in a place where they could do ain, as I felt ill An acid taste in my mouth skewed me how all these shocks had upset lass of leood deal of bile, and I then feltI went to see Esther, and found her looking serious and rather vexed; but as soon as she sa pale I was her face lighted up, and she asked me, in a voice of tenderest interest, if I had been ill
I told her I had been out of sorts, that I had taken some medicine, and that I now felt better
”You will see my appetite at supper,” added I, to cal to eat since dinner yesterday”
This was really the truth, as I had only eaten a few oysters with the Paduan girls
She could scarcely contain her joy at my recovery, and bade ladly, all unworthy though I felt of so great a favour
”I a to tell you an important piece of news,” said she, ”and that is that I am sure that you do not invent the answers to your oracle, or at least that you only do so when you choose The reply you procured me onderful-nay, divine, for it told ine my surprise when I convinced myself, with no little trouble of the truth of the answer
”You possess a treasure, your oracle is infallible; but surely it can never lie, and lad to know that, for you are the ive me an exemplary proof of your love, and if you do love ot me; I am sure you do not knohat it says; then I will tell you how you can make me quite happy”
I pretended to read, and kissed the words which declared I loved her ”I ahted,” said I, ”that the oracle has convinced you so easily, but Iago”
She replied, blushi+ng, that if it were possible to chew norance Then, co to the proof of my love, she told me that she wanted me to communicate the secret to her ”You love ht to irl ill be your wife, and in your power
My father will agree to our e, and when I becoo and live in another country if that would add to your happiness But you must teachit myself”
I took Esther's hands in s, and I kissed her hands with respectful fervour, saying, ”You know, Esther, dear, that my word is passed at Paris Certainly, Manon is not to be coave my proh escaped from Esther, and her head fell upon her breast: but what could I do? I could not teach her any other way of consulting the oracle than the method she understood as well as I: reater craft and , two or three days later, ato see me He called himself an officer, but his name was perfectly unknown to me I sent down to say that I could not see him, and as soon as my Spaniard went out I locked my door What had happened already had entlemen alone The two scoundrels who had robbed me had eluded all the snares of the police, and Piccolo were still in Auard
Some time after, Le Duc ca that it had been given hi for an answer I opened it, and recognized the nao The writer said we knew each other, but that he could only give his true name with his own lips, and that he had iive me