Part 51 (2/2)
”Go back, then, to the Beau Paon”
”That is now quite out of the question”
”Have you not a rooer”
”Who has taken it froo I was returning there, after I had been running about after you; and having reached my hotel quite out of breath, I perceived a litter, upon which four peasants were carrying a sick ray-bearded Franciscan As I was looking at thehim up the staircase, I followed, and as I reached the top of the staircase I observed that they took him into my room”
”Into your roo it to be a mistake, I summoned the landlord, who said that the rooht days was let to the Franciscan for the ninth”
”Oh, oh!”
”That was exactly what I said; nay, I did even et out of teain I spoke to the Franciscan himself, and wished to prove to hih he seemed to be, raised hi eyes upona charge of cavalry, said, 'Turn this fellow out of doors;' which was done, immediately by the landlord and the four porters, who reeable This is how it happens, dearest, that I have no lodging”
”Who can this Franciscan be?” said Montalais ”Is he a general?”
”That is exactly the very title that one of the bearers of the litter gave him as he spoke to him in a low tone”
”So that-” said Montalais
”So that I have no roo; and I am as determined as ht in the open air”
”What is to be done, then?” said Montalais
”Nothing easier,” said a third voice; whereupon Montalais and Malicorne uttered a sinan appeared ”Dear Monsieur Malicorne,” said Saint-Aignan, ”a very lucky accident has brought me back to extricate you from your embarrassment Come, I can offer you a room in my own apartments, which, I can assure you, no Franciscan will deprive you of As for you, my dear lady, rest easy I already knew Mademoiselle de la Valliere's secret, and that of Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente; your own you have just been kind enough to confide to me; for which I thank you I can keep three quite as well as one” Malicorne and Montalais looked at each other, like children detected in a theft; but as Malicorne saw a great advantage in the proposition which had been n of assent, which she returned Malicorne then descended the ladder, round by round, reflecting at every step on the nan all he ht possibly know about the famous secret Montalais had already darted away like a deer, and neither cross-road nor labyrinth was able to lead her wrong As for Saint-Aignan, he carried off Malicorne with hi him a thousand attentions, enchanted to have so close at hand the very twoDe Guiche were to reive him the best information about the maids of honor
Chapter LI What Actually Occurred at the Inn Called the Beau Paon
In the first place, let us supply our readers with a few details about the inn called Beau Paon It owed its na its tail But, in imitation of certain painters who bestowed the face of a handso n had conferred upon the peacock the features of a woainst that half of the huhtful, was situated at Fontainebleau, in the first turning on the left-hand side, which divides the road froe artery that constitutes in itself alone the entire town of Fontainebleau The side street in question was then known as the Rue de Lyon, doubtless because, geographically, it led in the direction of the second capital of the kingdom The street itself was composed of two houses occupied by persons of the class of tradespeople, the houses being separated by two large gardens bordered with hedges running round them Apparently, however, there were three houses in the street Let us explain, notwithstanding appearances, how there were in fact only two The inn of the Beau Paon had its principal front towards the es of buildings divided by courtyards, which comprised sets of apartments for the reception of all classes of travelers, whether on foot or on horseback, or even with their own carriages; and in which could be supplied, not only board and lodging, but also accommodation for exercise, or opportunities of solitude for even the wealthiest courtiers, whenever, after having received some check at the court, they wished to shut themselves up to their own society, either to devour an affront, or to brood on revenge Fro travelers could perceive, in the first place, the street with the grass growing between the stones, which were being gradually loosened by it; next the beautiful hedges of elder and thorn, which ereen and flowery arms, the house of which we have spoken; and then, in the spaces between those houses, for an almost impassable barrier, a line of thick trees, the advanced sentinels of the vast forest which extends in front of Fontainebleau It was therefore easy, provided one secured an apart, to obtain, by the main street from Paris, a view of, as well as to hear, the passers-by and the fetes; and, by the Rue de Lyon, to look upon and to enjoy the cal that, in cases of urgent necessity, at the veryat the principal door in the Rue de Paris, one could make one's escape by the little door in the Rue de Lyon, and, creeping along the gardens of the private houses, attain the outskirts of the forest Malicorne, who, it will be remembered, was the first to speak about this inn, by way of deploring his being turned out of it, being then absorbed in his own affairs, had not told Montalais all that could be said about this curious inn; and ill try to repair the omission With the exception of the feords he had said about the Franciscan friar, Malicorne had not given any particulars about the travelers ere staying in the inn The manner in which they had arrived, the manner in which they had lived, the difficulty which existed for every one but certain privileged travelers, of entering the hotel without a password, or living there without certain preparatory precautions, must have struck Malicorne; and, ill venture to say, really did so But Malicorne, as we have already said, had personal matters of his own to occupy his attention which prevented hi much attention to others In fact, all the aparters, who never stirred out, ere incohtful preoccupation, and not one of as known to Malicorne Every one of these travelers had reached the hotel after his own arrival there; each iven a kind of password, which had at first attracted Malicorne's attention; but having inquired, in an indiscreet iven as a reason for this extreilance, that, as the toas so full of wealthy noblemen, it must also be as full of clever and zealous pickpockets The reputation of an honest inn like that of the Beau Paon was concerned in not allowing its visitors to be robbed It occasionally happened that Malicorne asked hiht matters carefully over in his mind, and reflected upon his own position in the inn, hoas that they had allowed him to become an inmate of the hotel, when he had observed, since his residence there, admission refused to so many He asked himself, too, hoas that Manicamp, who, in his opinion, must be awished to bait his horse at the Beau Paon, on arriving there, both horse and rider had been incontinently turned aith a nescio vos of the most positive character All this for Malicorne, whosefully occupied by his own love affair and personal ambition, was a problem he had not applied himself to solve Had he wished to do so, we should hardly venture, notwithstanding the intelligence we have accorded as his due, to say he would have succeeded A feords will prove to the reader that no one but Oedipus in person could have solved the enig the week, seven travelers had taken up their abode in the inn, all of the arrived there the day after the fortunate day on which Malicorne had fixed his choice on the Beau Paon These seven persons, acco:- First of all, a brigadier in the German army, his secretary, physician, three servants, and seven horses The brigadier's name was the Comte de Wostpur-A Spanish cardinal, with two nepheo secretaries, an officer of his household, and twelve horses The cardinal's naneur Herrebia-A rich merchant of Bremen, with his man-servant and two horses This merchant's name was Meinheer Bonstett-A Venetian senator with his wife and daughter, both extrenor Marini-A Scottish laird, with seven highlanders of his clan, all on foot The laird's name was Maccumnor- An Austrian from Vienna without title or coat of arood deal of the priest, and so of the soldier He was called the Councilor-And, finally, a Flemish lady, with a e retinue of servants, great display, and immense horses She was called the Flemish lady
All these travelers had arrived on the same day, and yet their arrival had occasioned no confusion in the inn, no stoppage in the street; their apartments had been fixed upon beforehand, by their couriers or secretaries, who had arrived the previous evening or that veryan ill-conditioned horse, with a slender valise, had announced himself at the hotel of the Beau Paon as the friend of a noble the fetes, and ould hi these words, had smiled as if he were perfectly well acquainted either with Malicorne or his friend the nobleman, and had said to him, ”Since you are the first arrival, monsieur, choose what apartment you please” And this was said with that obsequiousness ofwith landlords, which means, ”Make yourself perfectly easy, monsieur: we knoholy” These words, and their accoht very friendly, but rather obscure However, as he did not wish to be very extravagant in his expenses, and as he thought that if he were to ask for a small apartment he would doubtless have been refused, on account of his want of consequence, he hastened to close at once with the innkeeper's re equal to his own So, sht be done was but simply his due, he said, ”My dear host, I shall take the best and the gayest room in the house”
”With a stable?”
”Yes, with a stable”
”And ill you take it?”
”Immediately if it be possible”
”Quite so”
”But,” said Malicorne, ”I shall leave the large rooood!” said the landlord, with an air of intelligence
”Certain reasons, which you will understand by and by, oblige me to take, at my own cost, this small room only”
”Yes, yes,” said the host
”When e aparter apartment will be his own affair, he will settle for it himself”
”Certainly,” said the landlord, ”certainly; let it be understood in that reed, then, that such shall be the terms?”
”Word for word”
”It is extraordinary,” said Malicorne to himself ”You quite understand, then?”
”Yes”
”There is nothing more to be said Since you understand,-for you do clearly understand, do you not?”
”Perfectly”
”Very well; and no me to my room”
The landlord, cap in hand, preceded Malicorne, who installed himself in his room, and became more and more surprised to observe that the landlord, at every ascent or descent, looked and winked at hience between them
”There is some mistake here,” said Malicorne to hie of it, which is the best thing I can possibly do” And he darted out of his roo a scent, in search of all the news and curiosities of the court, getting himself burnt in one place and drowned in another, as he had told Mademoiselle de Montalais The day after he had been installed in his room, he had noticed the seven travelers arrive successively, who speedily filled the whole hotel When he saw this perfect es, and retinue, Malicorne rubbed his hands delightedly, thinking that, one day later, he should not have found a bed to lie upon after his return froed, the landlord entered Malicorne's room, and with his accustomed courteousness, said to hie roo is still reserved for you?”
”Of course I a you a present of it”
”Thank you”
”So that when your friend comes-”
”Well!”
”He will be satisfied with me, I hope: or, if he be not, he will be very difficult to please”
”Excuse me, but will you allow me to say a feords about ht to do so”
”He intended to come, as you know”