The host began to mutter apologies, but I cut him short. "I will
talk to you to-morrow!" I said, in a voice which made him shake
in his shoes. "Now give me supper, lights, and a room--and
hurry. For you, M. Fonvelle, you are an ass! And for the
gentleman there, who has filled the rogue's purse, he will do
well another time to pay the King his dues!"
With that I left the two--Fonvelle purple with indignation, and
Curtin with eyes and mouth agape and tears stayed--and followed
my host to his best room, Maignan and La Trape attending me with
very grim faces. Here the landlord would have repeated his
apologies, but my thoughts beginning to revert to the purpose
which had brought me hither, I affected to be offended, that, by
keeping all at a distance, I might the more easily preserve my
character.
I succeeded so well that, though half the town, through which the
news of my adventure had spread, as fire spreads in tinder, were
assembled outside the inn until a late hour, no one was admitted
to see me; and when I made my appearance next morning in the
market-place and took my seat, with my two attendants, at a table
by the corn-measures, this reserve had so far impressed the
people that the smiles which greeted me scarcely exceeded those
which commonly welcome a tax-collector.
Pages:
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310