Part 44 (1/2)
”To be sure” Andre-Louis spoke indifferently ”Au revoir, Isaac! You'll come and see me--13 Rue du Hasard Come soon”
”As soon and as often as my duties will allow They keep me chained here at present”
”Poor slave of duty with your gospel of liberty!”
”True! And because of that I will come I have a duty to Brittany: to make Omnes Omnibus one of her representatives in the National asse,” laughed Andre-Louis, and drove away
CHAPTER IV AT MEUDON
Later in the week he received a visit from Le Chapelier just before noon
”I have news for you, Andre Your Godfather is at Meudon He arrived there two days ago Had you heard?”
”But no How should I hear? Why is he at Meudon?” He was conscious of a faint excitement, which he could hardly have explained
”I don't know There have been fresh disturbances in Brittany It may be due to that”
”And so he has come for shelter to his brother?” asked Andre-Louis
”To his brother's house, yes; but not to his brother Where do you live at all, Andre? Do you never hear any of the news? Etienne de Gavrillac eo He was of the household of M d'Artois, and he crossed the frontier with hiainst France For that is what the e That Austrian wo the monarchy”
”Yes, yes,” said Andre-Louis i ”But about Gavrillac?”
”Why, haven't I told you that Gavrillac is at Meudon, installed in the house his brother has left? Dieu de Dieu! Don't I speak French or don't you understand the language? I believe that Rabouillet, his intendant, is in charge of Gavrillac I have brought you the news the o out to Meudon”
”Of course I will go at once--that is, as soon as I can I can't to-day, nor yet to-morrow I am too busy here” He waved a hand towards the inner room, whence proceeded the click-click of blades, the quickof feet, and the voice of the instructor, Le Duc
”Well, well, that is your own affair You are busy I leave you now Let us dine this evening at the Cafe de Foy Kersain will be of the party”
”A moment!” Andre-Louis' voice arrested him on the threshold ”Is Mlle
de Kercadiou with her uncle?”
”How the devil should I know? Go and find out”
He was gone, and Andre-Louis stood there a ht
Then he turned and went back to resume with his pupil, the Vicomte de Villeniort, the interrupted exposition of the de with a ses to be derived from its adoption
Thereafter he fenced with the Vicomte, as perhaps the ablest of his pupils at the tihts of Meudon, his ive that afternoon and on the ht postpone without deranging the acade touched the Vicomte three times in succession, he paused and wrenched himself back to the present, it was to ained by purely ht upon what he was doing, his wrist and arm and knees had autoine into which constant practice for a year and more had combined them
Not until Sunday was Andre-Louis able to satisfy a hich the i days had converted into a yearning
Dressed with antly coiffed--by one of those hairdressers to the nobility of who thrown out of e freely--Andre-Louis e, and drove out to Meudon
The house of the younger Kercadiou no more resembled that of the head of the family than did his person A man of the Court, where his brother was essentially a man of the soil, an officer of the household of M