XVII

THE FIFTH FLOOR

"Lieutenant," said Bertrand to Dalville, one morning, "we have forgotten something in our reformation, but the approach of rent-day reminds me of it: it's the matter of lodgings. You must agree, lieutenant, that a fifteen-hundred franc suite is rather too heavy for our budget, in which the expense account is always lengthening, while the receipt account is a blank page."

"You are right, Bertrand, we must give notice."

"When I mentioned the subject to Schtrack yesterday, he told me that there's an Englishman who will take the apartments at any time if we want to leave them; it seems to me, lieutenant, that it would be the wisest plan to move right away."

"Do what you choose, Bertrand."

"Especially as there's a small bachelor's apartment on the fifth floor, that might suit us: two rooms and a large dressing-room. It's vacant, and if it won't be unpleasant for you to stay in this house----"

"Why should it? Have I any reason to blush because of my changed fortune? I am the dupe of villains, but I have made no dupes. We will go up four flights. Hire the bachelor's apartment."

"Very good, lieutenant. We will be all settled there to-morrow. No wagons to pay for moving--that's another saving."

Bertrand was well pleased to stay in the house with his friend Schtrack; and the next morning, as soon as Dalville had gone out, he and the concierge carried the furniture from the first floor to the fifth. But as two small rooms would not contain the furniture that filled six large ones, he left in the old apartment all that he considered superfluous, and the new tenant purchased it, the proceeds serving to restock Bertrand's cash-box at an opportune moment.

On returning home, Auguste, from long habit, stopped on the first floor.

He rang, and waited in vain for Bertrand to admit him; then he remembered that he no longer lived there, and went on upstairs; but, in spite of himself, a sigh escaped him as he left his former apartment behind; and when he entered his new abode, the cramped s.p.a.ce and the prospect of roofs from all the windows, extorted another sigh from his breast. We are men before we are philosophers, and the knowledge that we owe to the arguments of reason does not win an easy victory over our natural inclinations.

However, Auguste did his best to smile when Bertrand said to him:

"We shall be very comfortable here, lieutenant; shan't we? The rooms are small, but we have everything under our hand. And what's the use of having so many useless rooms? For, now that we're not rich any more, almost n.o.body comes to see us. If we want to exercise, we can go out.

But the air's better here than it is on the first floor. And the view!

Why, we overlook all the houses round."

"Yes, this is all that we need," Dalville replied; and Bertrand, observing that his master's smile was a little forced, made haste to add:

"I have already noticed, at that window in the roof over there, a very good-looking young girl."

"Where? where?" cried Auguste, running to the window.

"See, close by us, where the window is open. We can look right into her room, which is very convenient. And there's the girl I saw just now. She has evidently noticed that she has a new neighbor, and she isn't sorry to be looked at."

"She is really very good-looking: a good figure, and a saucy expression, eh, Bertrand?"

"So it seems to me, lieutenant."

"She's working with a frame; she must be a lace-maker."

"Oh! you can hardly expect to find d.u.c.h.esses living in chambers under the eaves."

"Somebody's opening a window just beyond her--do you see--where there are clothes hanging on a line?"

"Yes, lieutenant."

"Oh! what a lovely blonde, Bertrand! Do you see her?"

"I can't see so well as you, but I should say that she's young, too."

"She is lovely, I give you my word; much more so, in fact, than the first one, who is still looking at us. Gad! Bertrand, we shall do excellently well here, and I like the rooms very much."

"They're very nice, aren't they, lieutenant?"

"The view alone is enough for me; I couldn't see all these sweet creatures from downstairs, could I?"

"It would have been rather hard."

"I am delighted to live on the fifth floor."

"And I'm overjoyed to have you satisfied, lieutenant."

Bertrand rubbed his hands, because he had restored Auguste's good spirits by flattering his weakness; and Auguste, whom the sight of all those roofs had depressed at first, could not tear himself away from his window, because from it he could look into the rooms of his two charming neighbors.

The one with the mischievous eye and free-and-easy manner did not keep her eyes fixed on her frame, but glanced often at the young dandy who had taken up his abode under the eaves. Although in less affluent circ.u.mstances, Auguste had made no change in his dress; for the dress of a man of fashion never changes, whether his income is larger or smaller.

Moreover, Auguste was a very good-looking fellow, with distinguished manners, and that fact seemed to arouse the young working girl's curiosity, for she had not always such good company opposite her.

The young woman soon laid aside her work altogether; she walked about her room, arranged her bureau drawers, lighted her fire, looked at herself in the mirror, adjusted her neckerchief and prepared her dinner; each of her actions being accompanied by a glance at the opposite window. Auguste, who saw all that went on in her room, kept at his post, saying from time to time:

"Upon my word, Bertrand, it's very amusing to live on the fifth floor."

He looked also at the window where he had seen a pretty blonde; but she had simply taken in some of the linen that was drying, then closed the window without glancing at her neighbors.

Meanwhile, it had grown dark and the dinner hour had arrived. Auguste left his window and went blithely down the five flights. He returned home earlier than usual that evening and opened his window, although it was midwinter. He saw that there was a light in both of his neighbors'

rooms. The lace-maker had little curtains that covered only the lower sash; and as her window was on a lower level than Dalville's, he could look over the little curtains into the room, which was brightly lighted, and see the girl going to and fro between the mirror and the fireplace, and apparently engrossed by her little cap, and a saucepan that was on the fire.

"For heaven's sake, doesn't that girl think about anything but her cooking?" said Auguste to himself; "this afternoon she was getting her dinner, and now I suppose she's getting her supper. There seems to be no lack of appet.i.te under the eaves. True, Bertrand did tell me that the air was sharper. Ah! now she's going back to her mirror. She is a flirt, I noticed that this afternoon; her hair is dressed with more care than it was. Can she be expecting company? Why not? Isn't one at liberty to enjoy oneself in an attic as well as elsewhere? Are the rich alone privileged to receive their friends? Their friends! what do I say? One is much more likely to receive them on the fifth floor; and flatterers and parasites and parvenus don't disturb one here. It really is most delightful to room on the fifth floor.--Ah! what do I see?"

Auguste saw the young lace-maker, who, after adjusting her cap to her satisfaction, removed her jacket and short skirt, and donned a white chemise; while the young man, his eyes glued upon her little room, exclaimed excitedly:

"Very pretty! very pretty, on my word! I never saw anything better on the first floor! Ah! this apartment of mine is beyond price!"

Her toilet completed, the young woman set out her supper on a small table; she laid two covers.

"The deuce!" muttered Auguste; "the company that she expects consists of but one person; the party will be no larger than those in the private rooms at the Tournebride. But no matter! let us wait and see what happens."

A young man in a blouse and otter-skin cap arrived and was received with a joyful exclamation, to which he replied by a kiss so heartily bestowed that Dalville fancied that he heard the report; and he scratched his ear, muttering:

"The devil! the devil! shall I keep on looking? Why not? I shall at least know what to expect."

The supper was on the table; but the gallant in the otter-skin cap had more love than appet.i.te. He continued to s.n.a.t.c.h kisses, dallying the while with the girl, whom he seemed inclined to lead away from the table rather than toward it.

"The deuce!" said Auguste, "it's evident that people make love under the eaves no less than on first floors. This fellow in a jacket seems to know as much about it as the most skilful boudoir seducer. The deuce!