Volume I Part 52 (1/2)
”What may be the time now?”
”Nearly ten o'clock, Clary”
”Well, then, please have our horses ready”
”Our horses, at this tioverness, alarmed
”Yes, at once Hurry your toilet; I shall do the saood-by”
”But, Clary, what do you intend to do?”
”Mamma Caraman, I am not yet quite clear upon that point, but on the road to Marseilles you shall know everything Apropos, take the three hundred pounds with you”
”You are not thinking, surely, of spending the ?”
”H'e, and now go and overness had no other alternative than to obey the orders of the spoiled child Ten minutes later both ladies sat in their saddles, and rode, accoroom, toward the town
CHAPTER XLII
IN THE SPIDER'S WEB
If one passes in Marseilles from Main Street across Villeneuve Place, and turns into Prison Street, there appears a dirty old house just opposite this street, which upon a signboard bears the appellation: ”The Big Spider” This house is a resort for sailors of the worst kind, and, as soon as darkness sets in, beco but encouraging The worst of vices found here in the Big Spider their formation, and the scum of all parts of the world used to asses of that quarter were nicknamed ”The Spider Quarter,” and many a one who had entered the quarter ell-filled pockets never left it again The ”Spider's web” closed upon him, and he was lost; for the walls never betrayed what passed behind them, nor did the inhabitants feel any desire to do so
In the dark se, and characterless woed in the drunken revels
Continual strife and quarrels in which the knife was the chief weapon were always going on, while the police took good care not to couests of the Spider At present, of course, the Spider's Quarter has ceased to exist, and one who nowadays perceives the well-lighted streets will hardly believe what a place it formerly was--_tempora mutantur_ While the Zouave Coucou took leave in the villa, a ether in the Spider English, French, Maltese, Italians and Spanish sailors sat round the heavy oak tables; girls in curious dresses, whose painted cheeks showed plainly the traces of debauchery, thronged around a fe her black art, while a wo with her old instru before the coroups of men and wo as the dice rolled and the cards dropped, there could be heard curses and imprecations, as well as shouts of joy The athted lamps, the odor of alcoholic drinks, and the poisonous sht when a new-coirdle held the dark trousers around the waist, and a broad-brile upon a head full of rich red-blond hair The beard of the man was red and thick, while his forreat er was an English sailor, and the sharp accent hich he gave his orders to the morose landlord, of whom he demanded a mixture of rum and cordial, testified to this supposition
The host, as a suspicious-looking individual with piercing black eyes, which wickedly squinted froht the drink to the sailor, and while placing the tin can containing the hot beverage on the table, he held out his right hand to receive payment; for in the Spider the rule is: ”First pay and then you may drink” The sailor did not seem to relish this custoold piece and threw it on the table
While the host took the gold piece, a louis d'or, and curiously looked at it, reedily upon the sailor; the custoold pieces Out of pure ain on the tin can, and then sain, suspicious looks turned upon the old, and their bewildere ”Keep it for yourself,”
said he, loud enough to be heard The landlord, who understood es, shook his head and dryly replied:
”Keep your lishman felt vexed, struck with his fist on the table, took hold of the tin can and eht
”You decline lish accent
”I do not say so,” added the host, in a half-satisfactory tone, ”but to-day and to-morrow do not resemble each other, and what you bestow on me to-day you may rue to-morrow”
”That concerns no one but enerous, I have a right to be so Yes or no--will you accept the art, I do not need yourSpider is richer than you!”