Part 23 (2/2)
”Did anyone call to see me last evening, Madame Dupont?”
”No, monsieur; no one.”
”You saw no one come upstairs to my rooms?”
”You know very well, monsieur, that I wouldn't have let anybody come up, knowing that you were out.”
It was very strange! how had she succeeded in eluding the concierge's eyes? She was determined that no one should see her bringing the nosegay; she thought that it might offend me, and her gift acquired the greater value in my eyes on that account. To divert my mind from such thoughts, I recalled the errands my brother-in-law desired me to do. I went out, leaving Madame Dupont to place in a box all the artificial flowers that were strewn about my floor; but I told her not to touch the bouquet, which was on the mantel. It was a fertile source of conjectures for my concierge.
My day was fully occupied by the commissions to be executed in various government offices, whence Deneterre, who was about to build and desired to consummate various enterprises, hoped to obtain information and support. I was not sorry to have something to do; the time pa.s.sed more rapidly. Do not believe, however, that I was accustomed to spend my days in absolute idleness; no, I was devoted to the fine arts, especially poetry and music; and I turned my attention to them with ardor, when my love-making folly left me the requisite leisure; but I admit that I had neglected them shamefully for some time past.
It was time to think about dinner. I did not forget that I had an appointment for the evening on Boulevard Bondy, near the Chateau d'Eau.
In order to be in the neighborhood, I thought that, instead of dining at the Palais-Royal as usual, it would be an excellent idea to dine on the boulevards, where the small theatres are; then I should be close at hand for the evening. I bent my steps, therefore, toward the Marais.
When I was on Boulevard du Temple, I had only too great a number of restaurants to choose from. I knew them all; I was not _en partie fine_; so that I had no occasion to think of anything except which was the best, without looking about for the most convenient and most secluded private dining rooms. I decided in favor of the Cadran-Bleu; the prices were high there, but ordinarily one could get a good dinner. I walked in that direction and was just pa.s.sing the Jardin Turc, when I saw a gentleman in front of me with a lady on his arm. Raymond's figure was too easily recognizable for me to mistake it. It was certainly he: his gait, his huge calves, his gestures--yes, it was he. As for the lady, her face was hidden under an enormous bonnet; but it seemed to me that I knew her as well. My neighbor was talking with great earnestness, and I noticed that he pressed her arm to his side; he had every appearance of being _en bonne fortune_. I was curious to know where they were going; and I was determined to obtain a glimpse, if possible, of the charmer's face, unseen by Raymond; for, as I have said, her figure was not unfamiliar to me. But they crossed the boulevard and entered a restaurant on the corner of Rue d'Angouleme--the Meridien; I remembered that the waiters there were young women, and that it was a very comfortable place; at least, it was so some years before. Why should I not follow my neighbor? Perhaps chance would give me a glimpse of his companion; and Raymond does so much boasting about his mistresses, who, according to him, are always princesses and of rare beauty, that I was not sorry to have an opportunity to see one of those marvels of creation.
I left the Cadran-Bleu at my right, and, resigned to the prospect of dining less satisfactorily, entered the Meridien and asked for a private room. I was taken to it by a waitress. We pa.s.sed a room where I heard Raymond's voice, and I told my conductress to give me the adjoining one.
The part.i.tion between me and the room which Raymond and his flame occupied was so thin that I could hear their voices when they did not speak in undertones. I left my door open, too; and as theirs was not closed, for their table was being laid, I could catch from time to time a portion of what my neighbor said; for he had the unfortunate habit of speaking very loud--a habit contracted in order to attract attention to himself, and retained even in his incognito. Judging from what I heard, he was putting himself out to please his guest, whose tastes he constantly consulted in ordering the dinner. I heard him read the bill of fare to her three times; she had much difficulty in making up her mind; she didn't like anything; she wasn't hungry; it made no difference to her; but she asked for a thousand things that were not on the bill.
I readily concluded, from her affectations and fussing, that my neighbor had not made a very distinguished conquest; indeed, one would have said that she was making fun of him and that it amused her to annoy him. I was convinced that he would have nothing to show for his dinner.
Every time that I heard the woman's voice it recalled confused memories.
Yes, I was sure that I knew her, but I could not tell who she was; I had known so many that I might be pardoned for confusing them in my memory; and then, I caught only a few detached words. No matter! I was determined to see her, and I would find a way!
It seemed that Raymond decided at last to order the dinner himself, for I heard nothing more from him. The lady hummed a comic-opera air; that voice was certainly familiar to me.
I heard the bell, and the waitress appeared. Raymond gave her the card and ordered dinner at once, and the girl went downstairs. The lady expressed a wish for some fromage fouette, which my neighbor had not ordered, and he ran after the girl to add it to his order. As he pa.s.sed my room, the door of which I had been careful to leave ajar, he glanced in and saw me.
”What do I see? my dear friend Dorsan!”
”Himself, Monsieur Raymond. What on earth are you doing here?”
He entered the room with an air of mystery, walking on tiptoe, and pointed, with a smile, to the adjoining room.
”I am in there,” he said, trying to speak in an undertone; ”next door.”
”Oho!”
”With--someone.”
”Ah! I understand! an amourette, a _partie fine_!”
”Exactly.”
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