Volume Ii Part 49 (1/2)
”Is he drunk again as he was yesterday?--You were both pretty bad.”
”Oh! Freluchon, don't go back to that, I beg you!”
”If you refuse to let me laugh, I'll call you Chamoureau.--Come, come, be calm, my friend; I don't mean to make you wretched--I will leave that to your stunning spouse.--I am going to join Monsieur Thousand Sauerkrauts; that is a man I am most desirous to know more intimately.”
While Freluchon betook himself to the billiard room, Doctor Antoine went from one to another of the persons whom he knew, and whispered:
”Monsieur de Belleville has a surprise in store for the dinner.”
”What is it, doctor?”
”I can't tell; he has discovered a method of telling the exact age of a tree simply by examining the trunk.”
”Really! how on earth does he do it?”
”Ah! that is what he is going to tell us at dinner.”
”Why at dinner, pray? are we going to have trees for dessert?”
”I have told you all I know.”
”I would never have believed that Monsieur de Belleville would discover anything.”
”It seems that he isn't such a fool as he looks.”
These last reflections came from the groups formed by the guests from Paris. Meanwhile the report that the master of the house had made an interesting discovery quickly spread through all the rooms, and reached the ears of Freluchon, who had renewed his acquaintance with the Baron von Schtapelmerg.
It was Monsieur Jarnouillard who said to them:
”It seems that Monsieur de Belleville is a man of great talent--a profound student, deeply versed in the abstract sciences!”
”Whom are you talking about?” cried Freluchon.
”Of our host, Monsieur de Belleville.”
”You call Chamoureau a learned man?”
”Who is Chamoureau? where do you find a Chamoureau?”
”I find him here; that is Monsieur de Belleville's former name.”
”Ah! I didn't know that circ.u.mstance.”
”It makes no difference.--Why do you say that he's a profound student?”
”Because he has discovered the secret of telling the age of a tree simply by looking at the trunk.”
”So! he has discovered that, has he? But look you; when he says to a tree: 'Your age is thus and so,' the tree can't contradict him.”
”True! I hadn't thought of that.”