Volume II Part 54 (1/2)
”Very well. You will take Cecily yourself to M. Ferrand, without saying anything more to Mrs. Seraphin. As it is twenty years since you have seen your cousin, you will have nothing to answer, except that since her departure for Germany you have received no news from her.”
”Ah, now! but if the young woman only jabbers German?”
”She speaks French perfectly; I will give her her lesson; all you have to do is to recommend her strongly to Mrs. Seraphin; or, rather, I think, no--for she would suspect, perhaps, that you wished to force her. You know it suffices often merely to ask for a thing to have it refused.”
”To whom do you tell this? That's the way I always served cajolers. If they had asked nothing, I do not say--”
”That always happens. You must say, then, that Cecily is an orphan and a stranger, very young and very handsome; that she is going to be a heavy charge for you; that you feel but slight affection for her, as you had quarreled with your cousin, and that you are not much obliged for such a present as she has made you.”
”Oh, my! how cunning you are. But be easy--we two'll fix the pair. I say, Mr. Rudolph, how we understand each other. When I think that if you had been of my age in the time when I was a train of powder--_ma foi_, I don't know--and you?”
”Hus.h.!.+ if Mr. Pipelet--”
”Oh, yes! poor dear man! You don't know a new infamy of Cabrion's? But I will tell you directly. As to your young girl, be easy; I bet that I'll lead old Seraphin to ask me to place my relation with them.”
”If you succeed, my dear Mrs. Pipelet, there is a hundred francs for you. I am not rich, but--”
”Do you mock at me, Mr. Rudolph? Do you think I do this from interested feelings? It is pure friends.h.i.+p--a hundred francs!”
”But remember that if I had this girl for a long time under my charge it would cost me more than that at the end of some months.”
”It is only to oblige you that I shall take the hundred francs, Mr.
Rudolph; but it was a famous ticket in the lottery for us when you came to this house. I can cry from the roof, you are the prince of lodgers. Holloa! a hack! It is doubtless the little lady for M.
Bradamanti. She came yesterday; I could not see her. I am going to trifle with her, to make her show her face; without counting that I have invented a way to find out her name. You'll see me work; it will amuse you.”
”No, no, Mrs. Pipelet, the name and face of this lady are of no importance to me,” said Rudolph, retreating to the back part of the lodge.
”Madame!” cried Anastasia, rus.h.i.+ng out before the lady who entered, ”where are you going, madame?”
”To M. Bradamanti's,” said the female, visibly annoyed at thus being stopped in the pa.s.sage.
”He is not at home.”
”It is impossible; I have an appointment with him.”
”He is not at home.”
”You are mistaken.”
”I am not mistaken at all,” trying all the time to catch a glimpse of her face. ”M. Bradamanti has gone out, certainly gone out--very certainly gone out--that is to say, except for a lady.”
”Well! it is I! you annoy me; let me pa.s.s.”
”Your name, madame? I shall soon know if it is the person M.
Bradamanti told me to pa.s.s in. If you have not that name, you must step over my body before you shall enter.”
”He told you my name?” cried the lady, with as much surprise as inquietude.