Volume III Part 52 (1/2)
”I arant ether; I cannot think you will refuse me”
”Well, well, you shall be satisfied, but if you are in a hurry to leave Stuttgart I must warn you that we cannot come before Monday, for we are on duty for the next four days”
”I am sorry to hear it, but I ait Give s shall be suspended in the mean time”
”Certainly; here is my hand, and you may reckon on me In my turn I have a favour to ask I like your post-chaise; will you let me have it for what it cost you?”
”With pleasure”
”Be kind enough to call the landlord, and tell his to me”
I had the landlord upstairs and did as the rascal had asked me, but mine host told him that he could dispose of it after he had paid for it, and with that he turned his back on hi the chaise,” said the officer, laughing He then embraced me, and went away
I had derived so much pleasure from my talk with him that I felt quite another ood luck
So felloho spoke Italian well came to tell me, from the chief of police, thatMonday, and that he hioods
He advised oods should not be sold by auction, and that my creditors should consider his valuation as final and binding He told ratulate myself if I followed his advice
I told hied hi and told me that my lace alone orth twenty thousand francs ”In all,” he added, ”your goods are worth more than a hundred thousand francs, but I promise to tell your adversaries another story, Thus, if you can persuade theet off with half your effects”
”In that ease,” I said, ”you shall have fifty louis, and here are six as an earnest”
”I arateful to you, and you can count upon my devotion The whole town and the duke as well know your creditors to be knaves, but they have their reasons for refusing to see their conduct in its true light”
I breathed again, and now allmy escape with all I possessed, my poor chaise excepted I had a difficult task before ht froave e
My first step was to ask Toscani, Baletti, and the dancer Binetti to supper, as I had measures to concert with these friends ofto fear froood supper I told them how the affair stood, and that I was deteroods with me ”And now,” I said, ”I want your advice”
After a brief silence Binetti said if I could get to his house I could lower round I should be outside the toalls and at a distance of a hundred paces froh road, by which I could travel post and be out of the duke's dominions by daybreak Thereupon Baletti opened theand found that it would be impossible to escape that way, on account of a wooden roof above a shop I looked out also, and seeing that he was right I said that I should no doubt hit on so my escape froe The Toscani then said:--
”You will have to abandon yourattention, and you e to deliver safely whatever you may put in my care I will take away your effects under ht”
Baletti thought this idea a good one, and said that to do it the quicker his ould come and help We fixed on this plan, and I proht on Sunday, even if I had to stab the sentry, as atme in Baletti said he would provide me with a faithful servant, and a post-chaise with swift horses, which would take my effects in other an to load herself, putting two of my suits of clothes under her dress For the next few days ht on Saturday,case were e to carry it in ht oods; and Baletti came also to tell me that all the necessary measures had been taken, and that I should find a post-chaise, under the charge of his servant, waiting for ood, and the reader shall now hear how I contrived to escape from my inn
The sentry confined himself to a small ante-cha into my rooone to bed he locked the door, and went off till the next day He used to sup on a little table in a corner of the ante-rooe of his habits, I gaveinstructions:
”After supper, instead of going to bed, I shall holduished in the ante-room, while I shall take care that ht outside, or to reflect my shadow
Once out ofthe stairs, and o to Binetti's, leave the town by his house, and wait for you at Furstenburg No one can hinder you fro me in the course of a day or two So when you see me ready inhis supper, put out the candle on the table: you can easilyit You will then take it to re-light it, and I shall seize that et off in the darkness When you conclude that I have got out of the ante-roohted candle, and you can help him to finish his bottle By that tione to bed he will co the door and putting the key in his pocket he will go aith you It is not likely that he will coone to bed”