The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-06-03

ly forget the fifteen thousand francs v hich
you have with you
ooh; that was all nonsense" cried
Lussac; "my words on this point were
the merest wind of course was only 10
king"
This speech did not fail to increase she
terror of Malaquet.
"Well, whatever happens" he said, af-
ter few moments hesitation, Il am de-
termined not to yield ill have fred my
pistol rs often as can"
"Pistol = exclaimed Lussac "but dc
you not know that it rs forbidden to carry
arms 2"
forbidden, do you say?" continued
Mallaquet, assuming an air Of great cour-
age: "there are resolute fellows, however,
who do not much rcgard-who, in fact,
laugh at-such prohibitions"
This conversation was interrupted By
the trot Of horse the rider was a postil.
lion, who told our travellers that they had
gone astray, and that they had, at least, o
walk of two hours to the nearest posting.
ot"tioh' buAh InuIC uldI ulcu Ludu ever,
sought relief in furious oaths.
Presently carriage passed; Mallaquet
and Lussac rushed towards it. Lussac
wanted to get up behind, but the coach
man struck him so fercely with bis whip,
that he was forced to let 60 his bold Be,
bold our travellers, then, dragging their
weary limbs anew along the hiyhroad.
A light cleaned in the distance. Our
travellers drowned in perspiration and
crushed by fatigue, marched towards the
spot where the light was shining. 1t was
village everybody had gone to bed
but they at last succeeded in discovering
an inn.
q Fresh mishap! An the rooms were
occupied But the landlord, yielding af.
ter awhile to their passionate requests,
gave them the room which he had reserved
for himself. Hungry aud weary, howev-
er, the two companions felt the irresista.
bic need for food, The delay caused by
the repast was marked by an absolute ST.
leuce; and in nearly the same silence Nal.
laquct and Lussac prepared with their
exhausted frames to taste the sweets Of
repose. ,...... -.. ... H. .:
"The moment am in bed" thought
Mallaquet, 81 shall pretend to 'be asleep
l shall even snore with tolerable emphasis
if needful but shall keep myself alert
for whatever may occur" g.
As for NJ. Lussac, after having slipped
bis portfolio under his pillow, wished his
companion good night, blown out the can
die, he placed himself as costly in the bed
as he could, but kept his eyes fixed in the
darkness on the corner of the room where
the brigand was.
Two hours passed away, marked by the
most complete immobility on both sides
The first feeble light of the dawn was be.
ginning to peep through when NJ. Lusspe
perceived his neighbor rising with prccau
ton, and approaching his own bed on tip.
toe. Mallaquet then stopped down over
M. Lussac's face. NJ. Lussac's heart bea,
like steam engine. Fortunately howev.
err, he had his knife opened and ready un.
der the bed-clothes. He asked himself
whether be ought not to be beforehand
with the assassin. But little cowardice
and the excess of his emotion, forced him
to wait, without stirring, the development
of events. NJ. Mallaquet again gathered
some assurance from the air of tranquility
which he, who deemed himself victim,
simulated. He went back to bed with a
contented heart. And the result was thai
neither of the travellers having slept, but
neither Of them also having suffered any
greater BARN than good fright, they set
out in the course of the morning srm-in-
arm for Rouen, became intimate friends,
and ended by forming commercial part
nership. The house of Mallquet & Com.
pauy still prospers at Paris, and each of the
partners amuses himself with telling the
singular circumstances which led to their
business relations. It is never, however,
without emotion that NJ. Malaquet hears
NJ. Lussac speaking of the moment when
the knife was kept ready under the bed
clothes for fatal stab.
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