"To-morrow, on the road," said Bertrand, "I will take pains to refer to the fact that we are hard up, while you, on the contrary, must jingle your coins. When we reach the place where we are to sleep, my lieutenant will pretend to be sick and say that he can't continue his journey. The next morning he will stay in bed; then you must seize the opportunity for a tete-a-tete, make your declaration, and propose to the young woman to take her off before we wake up. She'll accept--I'd bet my moustaches if I still had 'em."

"Agreed, my fine fellow--and the fifty crowns?"

"I'll pay them to you when I see you ready to start. You can go to Lyon; we won't go there, so as not to run into you."

"Shake; I'll abduct your charmer; and, as you say, she probably won't resist, because, although your companion's good-looking enough, he hasn't this figure, this build--in fact, this fascinating air; ain't that so?"

"I should say so! you remind me of a drum-major."

The bargain being made, Bertrand and the tradesman, after drinking a gla.s.s to the success of their scheme, went to bed.

The next day they resumed their journey. Auguste seemed more bored than ever by Madame Florimont's company; he dared not tell Bertrand so; but the ex-corporal observed the young man's ill-concealed yawns and stifled sighs while the emotional Adele continued to tell him that it would be her delight to stay with him always. After some time Auguste gave way to the drowsiness that overpowered him. He fell asleep on the back seat of the vehicle, beside the young woman, who said not another word.

Bertrand, pretending to think that she too was asleep, said to the driver in an undertone:

"Poor fellow! if only sleep might put an end to his anxieties and pay his debts!"

"Is he in debt, do you say?"

"That is why we left Paris; and I am very much afraid that we shall be pursued by creditors at Lyon."

"That's a pity! A business like mine is the thing! it always goes right on. Leather will never go out of fashion--it's like bread."

"It is precisely the same thing. So you are well off, are you?"

"Why, I am very comfortable."

Bertrand noticed that Madame Florimont raised her hood in order to see the tradesman better; whereupon he said nothing more, but looked off into the country so as not to interfere with his neighbor's ogling of the young woman, which she received with a smile, probably to gratify him.

They reached the place where they were to pa.s.s the night. Bertrand had not as yet mentioned his project to Auguste, but chance seemed to favor him. On leaving the wagon, the young man was attacked by a violent sick-headache, and immediately upon entering the inn went to his room to lie down, telling Madame Florimont to order whatever she pleased.

Bertrand made an excuse for leaving the tradesman alone with their travelling companion; he went out to walk and did not return until very late. The tradesman was alone, admiring himself in a mirror.

"Well?" queried Bertrand.

"You can pay me the fifty crowns."

"Do you mean it?"

"It's all arranged: at daybreak to-morrow I abduct your charmer; she is to tell your companion that he can lie abed as we don't start till ten o'clock."

"Morbleu! a victory wouldn't give me more pleasure! My poor master! I would like so much to see him become more reasonable! to see him get over his nonsense! I'll treat to a bottle--two bottles over and above the bargain."

"I accept."

"So she didn't make any very great resistance?"

"I should say not! I had taken her fancy; besides, she told me that her sense of delicacy wouldn't allow her to travel with a man who is in debt."

In his delight, Bertrand ordered several more corks drawn; he paid the tradesman his fifty crowns on the spot, and he did not go to bed, so that he might, unseen, witness Madame Florimont's departure. She rose at daybreak, without waking Auguste, and drove off with the leather dealer.

"A pleasant journey!" exclaimed Bertrand as he looked after the wagon.

When it was out of sight he ran to Auguste's room and woke him, crying:

"Victory, lieutenant! I have driven the enemy from the citadel!"

"What's the matter?" inquired Auguste, rubbing his eyes.

"The matter is that I have relieved you of your emotional travelling-companion, who went off this morning with our leather man."

"Is it possible, Bertrand?"

"Why, yes, monsieur; she's gone, I tell you. You are not inclined to run after her, I trust?"

"G.o.d forbid!--So she has ceased to love me?"

"As if that adventuress ever loved you! She goes with the first comer who looks to be rich! And yet that's the woman, monsieur, that you had on your hands! You fall in love in a diligence, and crac! you sc.r.a.pe acquaintance, and--Look you, lieutenant, I'm no lady-killer myself, but it seems to me that a man ought to say these two things to himself in a public conveyance: 'If this woman is respectable, she won't listen to me; if she isn't, it isn't worth while to speak to her.'"

"You are right, a hundred times right! But this folly shall be my last."

"Do you know that counting everything--conveyance, presents and board bills--your intrigue has cost us at least five hundred francs? A pretty beginning for a man who is going to try to make a fortune!"

"Oh! you'll see, Bertrand, after this, that I'll be so good----"

"G.o.d grant it! But to avoid meeting that lady again, my advice is that we don't go to Lyon."

"Agreed; let's push on to Italy at once. Beneath the beautiful sky that saw the birth of Virgil and Tibullus, in the fatherland of all the arts--there will I, impelled by a n.o.ble emulation, turn my talents to account and try to acquire additional ones. Perhaps fortune will smile on my efforts! Music, painting, offer resources which I must not blush to employ! We will spend very little and I will try to earn a great deal; for, in all lands, the higher prices one charges, the more merit is attributed to one. And then, when I have saved a neat little sum, we will return to France to enjoy the fruit of my labors."

"That's the talk, lieutenant; and, more fortunate than the great Turenne, who was killed on the battlefield, we will enjoy the blessings of peace after the war."

XXIII

THE WEDDING PARTY

The travellers allowed the leather dealer plenty of time, in order not to overtake Madame Florimont. The proprietor of a small _carriole_ offered to drive them whereever they chose to go, representing himself as a public carrier, and a.s.suring them that his vehicle was in condition to take them to Naples, which journey it had made at least fifteen times.

Although the _carriole_ bore no resemblance to the _berline_ of an ordinary carrier, our travellers made the best of it; but before entering, Bertrand satisfied himself that there were no women inside. A dress terrified him; he would not even have left his master alone with a nurse.

The vehicle contained no other pa.s.sengers save an honest peasant of some fifty years, whom Bertrand scrutinized a long while, to make sure that he was not a woman disguised, while Auguste took his seat, laughing at his companion's fears.

"Are you going to Italy too, my good man?" Auguste asked the peasant.

"Oh, nenni, monsieur," was the reply; "I ain't going so far as that; I'm only just going to my sister's, who lives a short three leagues out of Lyon; she's marrying her youngest son Eustache, my nephew."

"Oho! so you're going to a wedding? That's delightful! A wedding's great fun."