I
furthermore waited to enter the town until evening, so that my
presence, being reported, might be taken for granted before I was
seen.
In a larger place my scheme must have miscarried, but in this
little town on the hill, looking over the plain of vineyards and
cornfields, with inn, market-house, and church in the square, and
on the fourth side the open battlements, whence the towers of
Chartres could be seen on a clear day, I looked to have to do
only with small men, and saw no reason why it should fail.
Accordingly, riding up to the inn about sunset, I called, with an
air, for the landlord. There were half-a-dozen loungers seated
in a row on a bench before the door, and one of these went in to
fetch him. When the host came out, with his apron twisted round
his waist, I asked him if he had a room.
"Yes," he said, shading his eyes to look at me, "I have."
"Very well," I answered pompously, considering that I had just
such an audience as I desired--by which I mean one that, without
being too critical, would spread the news.
Pages:
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301