Volume I Part 1 (2/2)
”Andrea Cavalcanti is charged with having alley-slave Caderousse, hohtning from a clear sky this announcelars fainted, the policeuests ran here and there like a flock of sheep surprised by a fox, the servants stood ned supre all the colars' house possessed their self-possession so much as just the one as the least expected to do so
Two days after the catastrophe, when Eugenie's most intimate friend, the music teacher, Louise d'Arhter of the banker repulsed her with a disdainful laugh
”I aed to Monsieur de Morcerf, whose father shot hi acquired his wealth by dishonorable means; then I was to be married to Prince Cavalcanti, to add to the millions which my father possesses, or which he perhaps does not call his own, the iinary wealth of a--jail-bird”
”What should be done now?” asked her modest friend in an anxious tone
”Fate shows enie, firmly ”I aotistical man You are aware that e, where my voice, my beauty, and my independent spirit will assure me success The time has now arrived when I must decide: here, the scandal and contempt of the crowd; there, applause, fah I did not think it would come in such a shameful way I have fifty thousand francs pin-e; I have passports for both of us; in an hour we depart for Belgium”
Louise listened to her friend speechless with astonishh she knew the firmness of her character, she was not prepared for so irls alone,” she hesitatingly said, ”cannot--”
”I have looked out for that, too,” replied Eugenie, calmly; ”the passport is made out in the nao for the carriage I will pack the trunks, and change myself into Monsieur Leon d'Armilly”
Louise e to co nized at the first glance as the proud and courted beauty, Eugenie Danglars With great difficulty the two girls carried the trunk through a side door of the house and deposited it at the next street corner There the coachman awaited them, and in a quarter of an hour they had left Paris
Let us now return to Prince Cavalcanti, _alias_ Benedetto, the hero of the interrupted party at the banker Danglars' house
With that cunning peculiar to crier froht time After he had pocketed the diaenie's _trousseau_, and which were exposed in the parlor, he scaled the , slipped an overcoat over his dress, and made his way out of the house In thirty minutes he reached an out-of-the-way suburb of Paris Without losing a e, and left the city under the pretence of having to catch a friend, who had departed for the chase on the previous day
The big tip he gave the driver spurred the latter on, and at the end of an hour Benedetto found hi that he would spend the night there
Benedetto now formed a decisive plan He did not remain in Loures, but went on foot to Chapelle-en-Serval, a mile distant, where he arrived covered with dirt and dust, and entered the nearest inn, telling the host that he had fallen froet ne, I would be very grateful to you”
The host really had a horse at his disposal, and in a quarter of an hour Benedetto, accone, which he reached about ed the boy at the market-place of the little city, he went to the inn called the Bell and Bottle, which he had patronized in former times, and to which he was admitted now
After Benedetto had eaten a hearty supper, he inquired if he could get a rooround floor, but was forced to accept one on the first story, as the other had been taken by a young man who had just arrived with his sister
The hunted culprit was so tired out by his exertions that he fell into a deep sleep, and did not wake up early next , as he had intended, but at nine o'clock Struck by an indescribable fear, he quickly dressed hih theblinds He recoiled in terror, for his first glance had fallen upon two policeuns in their hands His first thoughts were that he was followed and was lost He quickly collected hi a piece of paper, scribbled these words on it with a lead pencil:
”I have noThe inclosed diamond pin will fully pay for e this, and therefore left at five o'clock”
After he had attached the pin to the paper, he opened the door and crawled up the chiility of a chimney-sweep Here, however, the difficulty was to continue his ithout being perceived by any one He therefore returned and entered another chier was over He already began to think himself saved, when he lost his balance and crashed with a loud noise through the opening and into a room which was occupied, as was betrayed by a sudden screa man and a lady were in the rooorously at the bell-rope
”Rescue me--hide me!” were the first words the villain spoke He was about to say nized the young lars