Part 49 (1/2)
”No, no!-listen to me, or I will jump from my perch here to yours; and be careful how you set me at defiance, for a branch of this chestnut-tree causes ood deal of annoyance, and may provoke me to extreme measures Do not follow the example of this branch, then, but listen to ree to do so; but be as brief as possible, for if you have a branch of the chestnut-tree which annoys you, I wish you to understand that one of the rounds of the ladder is hurting the soles of h”
”Do ive oodness to do so?”
”There isto do?”
”To draw you towards me”
”What for? You surely do not wish me to join you in the tree?”
”No; but I wish you to sit down upon the wall; there, that will do; there is quite rooreat deal to be allowed to sit down beside you”
”No, no; you are very here you are; we should be seen”
”Do you really think so?” said Manica voice
”I am sure of it”
”Very well, I reh I cannot be worse placed”
”Monsieur Manica away froht, we are so”
”You wrote me a letter?”
”I did”
”Why did you write?”
”Fancy, at two o'clock to-day, De Guiche left”
”What then?”
”Seeing him set off, I followed him, as I usually do”
”Of course, I see that, since you are here now”
”Don't be in a hurry You are aware, I suppose, that De Guiche is up to his very neck in disgrace?”
”Alas! yes”
”It was the very height of imprudence on his part, then, to come to Fontainebleau to seek those who had at Paris sent him away into exile, and particularly those from whom he had been separated”
”Monsieur Manicaoras”
”Moreover, De Guiche is as obstinate as a man in love can be, and he refused to listen to any of ed, I i Oh, the deuce!”
”What's theyour pardon, Mademoiselle Montalais, but this confounded branch, about which I have already had the honor of speaking to you, has just torn a certain portion of hing; ”so, pray continue, M Manicamp”
”De Guiche set off on horseback as hard as he could, I following him, at a slower pace You quite understand that to throw one's self into the water, for instance, with a friend, at the sa rate as he himself would do it, would be the act either of a fool or a et in advance, and I proceeded onquite sure that my unfortunate friend would not be received, or, if he had been, that he would ride off again at the very first cross, disagreeable answer; and that I should see hi, one ood distance you will adet there and as ed her shoulders
”Laugh ascomfortably seated on the top of the wall as you are, you were sitting on this branch as if you were on horseback, you would, like Augustus, aspire to descend”
”Be patient, my dear M Manica, I think, that you had gone beyond Ris and Melun”
”Yes, I went through Ris and Melun, and I continued to go on, ; and here I am at Fontainebleau; I look for and inquire after De Guiche everywhere, but no one has seen hi at full gallop, he entered the chateau; and there he has disappeared I have been here at Fontainebleau since eight o'clock this evening inquiring for De Guiche in every direction, but no De Guiche can be found I a with uneasiness You understand that I have not been runningthe chateau, as my imprudent friend has done; I caetting a letter conveyed to you; and now, for Heaven's sake,lady, relieve me from my anxiety”
”There will be no difficulty in that, my dear M Manicamp; your friend De Guiche has been ad , who exiled him!”
”Madame smiled upon him, and Monsieur appears to like him better than ever”
”Ah! ah!” said Manicamp, ”that explains to me, then, why and how he has re about me?”
”Not a word”
”That is very unkind What is he doing now?”
”In all probability he is asleep, or, if not asleep, drea?”
”Dancing”
”The famous ballet? How did De Guiche look?”
”Superb!”
”Dear fellow! And now, pray forgive me, Mademoiselle Montalais; but all I now have to do is pass from where I now am to your apartment”
”What do you mean?”
”I cannot suppose that the door of the chateau will be opened for ht upon this branch, I possibly ht not object to do so, but I declare it is impossible for any other animal than a boa-constrictor to do it”
”But, M Manicamp, I cannot introduce a man over the wall in that manner”