The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-04


Philippon, the silk merchant, come to
him with brides and go free? And De
Fonvelle and De Curtin-they with a
de forsoOth plead their nobility and
grease his hands and go free? Ay,
and
But how long has your friend up
stairs been here?" I interrupted.
Two days, monsieur" she answered,
wiping the perspiratiOn from her brow
and speaking more quietly. He is
talking OF sending on a deputy to LIE
Mesnil; but heaven send he may re-
cover and go from here HIMSELF
Well I answered, at any rate, we
have had enough of this noise. Maig-
man, I continued, "see the man and
tell him that the inn is not his private
house and that he must gToan more
softly; but do not mention my name.
And let him have his brine bath or
there viii be no peace for any one"
MaigIlan and La Trape, who knew
me, and had counted on a very differ
ent order, stared at me wondering at
my easiness and cOmplaisance. But
the wOman's statement had suggested
to me a scheme of punishment more
refined; and which might, at one and
the same time, be Of profit to the kings
treasury and a lesson to GTinguet.
-
having duly fallen in the night, we
crossed the river without mishap and
for a league pursued our proper road.
Then I halted and dispatching the
two grooms to Houdan with a letter
for my wife, I took myself the road to
lie MensiL which lies about three
leagues TO the west.
At a little inn a league short of lie
Mesnil I stopped and, instructing my
two attendants in the parts they were
to play, prepared, with the help of the
seals. which never left Maiguan's Gus
tody, the papers necessary to enable
me TO enact the role Of Gringuet's
deputy. Though I had been two or
three times to Nillebon, I had never
been within two leagues of lie Mesnil
and had no reason to suppose that
should be recognized; but to lessen the
probability Of this I put on q. plain suit
belonging to Maignan, with a black
killed sword and no ornaments. fur
thermore waited to enter the town IN
til evening, so that my presence, be
ing reported, might be taken for
granted before I was seen -----
Accordingly, riding up to the inn
{ bout sunset. I called, with an air, for
the landlord. There were half a dozen
ICungers seated in q row on q bench
before the door. and one of these went
in to fetch him, When the host came
out, with his apron twisted around his
waist, asked him if he had a room.
Yes" he said, shading his eyes to
look at me, 4 have"
Very we'll" I answered pompously,
Considering that had just such an au-
dience as desired-by which 1 mean
one that, without being too critical,
would spread the news@''I am Mon
sieur GringUet's deputy and I am here
with authority to collect and remit,
receive and give receipts for his ma
jesty's taxes, tolls and dues now or to
be due and owing. Therefore, my
friend, I will trouble you TO show me
to my room"
To my surprise he only stared at me.
"Ehr' he exclaimed at last, in a fall
tering tone, Monsieur Gringuet's dep
uty?"
Yes" I said, dismounting somewhat
impatiently; he is i'll with the govt
and cannot come
Still he did not move TO do my bid
ding. but continued to rub his bald
head and stare at me as if I fascinated
him. well, I AMI mean-I think we
are full" he stammered at last, with
his eyes like saucers-
I replied with some impatience that
he had just said that he had a room;
adding that if I was not in it and COM
fCrtably settled before five minutes
were up I would know the reason. I
thought that this would settle the mat
ter, whatever maggot had got into the
mans head; and, in a way, it did so,
for he begged my pardon hastily, and
made way for me to enter. But when
we were inside the door, instead of
showing me through the kitchen to my
room, he mutteTed something, and hur-
ried away, leaving me to wonder what
was amiss with him and why the
lCungers outside, who had listened to
our conversation, had come in after up
as far as they dared, and were regard
ing US with an odd mixture of suspicion
and amusement.
At length he returned bearing a can
die and followed by a serving man. I
asked him roughly why he had been so
long, and began to rate him; but he
took the words out of my mouth by
his humility, and going before me
through the kitchen, he opened a door
which led again into the outer air.
1T is across the yard" he said apol-
ogetically, as he went before and
opening a second door stood aside for
Us to enter But it is a good room.
and, II you please, a fire can be lighted. /
The shutters are closed" he continued.
as we passed him. Maignan and La
Trape carrying my baggage, but they
shall be opened. Halo! Pierre! Pierre. /
there! Open these shut"
On the word his voice rose-and
broke; and in a moment the door
through which we had all passed mn
sUspecting fell TO with crash behind
US Before we could move we heard 4
the bars drop across it We were ont
witted. We were prisoners.