The Bath Keepers Volume Ii Part 54

"As much money as I ask!--By Mercury! pretty lady's-maid, this deserves consideration!--Moreover, I am too gallant to refuse to hold an interview with your mistress, whom I know to be as generous as she is beautiful.--Faith! so much the worse for my new master; I will tell him that the spots stuck like the devil; I can always find some fable to tell him.--Let us be off."

"Choose the place where you will await my mistress."

"Let me see; I must try to think of a place where there are not too many pa.s.sers, so that we may talk undisturbed. Yes; I have what we want--on Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, I know a place where there have been no houses built as yet; there is a hollow there, where one can talk as comfortably as in one's own house; and it is not far from madame la marquise's hotel."

"Let us make haste, then."

Bahuchet and Miretta doubled their pace. The sometime clerk knew his Paris perfectly, and the streets one could take to lessen the distance.

In a short time they reached Rue des Francs-Bourgeois. The little man stopped at a vacant lot, where building materials had been dropped.

"This is the place; it is very convenient for a private conversation, you see."

"It is well. Remain here, while I go to fetch my mistress."

"She will not be long?"

"I promise you that she will be here within half an hour."

"Very good! Above all things, do not let her bring one of her tall lackeys with her! If I see one of them in the distance, off I go, and I give you my word that you will not catch me!"

"Do you think that my mistress is setting a trap for you, Monsieur Bahuchet?"

"No, pretty brunette, I certainly do not think that; but, look you, when one has been thrashed as I was, one may well retain some apprehension."

"Fie! a man, and afraid! At least, you should not admit it. I am only a woman, but I have never known what fear is!--Stay here, Monsieur Bahuchet, and fear nothing; you will be handsomely paid."

Miretta fled with the swiftness of a deer; and Bahuchet seated himself on a stone, saying to himself:

"That girl is well fitted to enter one of these new companies of mousquetaires which are said to be forming; I am sure that she would march into fire without a tremor.--After all, I have no occasion for fear; although there are very few pa.s.sers on this street, still there are some. I myself chose the place of rendezvous.--So the fair Valentine is still in love with the handsome Comte Leodgard! Hum! these women!

when a pa.s.sion has taken firm root in their heart, all the obstacles they encounter simply whet their appet.i.te.--And that man who is waiting for me in his bathtub? Faith! let him wait! he will be all the cleaner for it! Besides, Plumard is with him; he will tell him lies to keep him patient. But money--all the money I want! That I know is a way of speaking; but still, the fair marchioness is generous--generous and amorous; and she flings her money away freely!"

Bahuchet had not been at his post twenty-five minutes, when he spied two women at the end of the street; one of them, enveloped in a cloak, and with her head covered by a thick veil, glanced occasionally to the right and left. They were the marchioness and her confidante. About fifty yards from Bahuchet, Valentine told Miretta to stop, and went forward alone toward the little ex-Basochian, who bowed low in the distance.

"Here I am, Monsieur Bahuchet; I have not kept you waiting too long, I hope?"

"No, madame. Oh! I knew that with madame la marquise I should not lose my time."

"Do not waste it in empty words. Will you undertake to carry this letter to the Comte de Marvejols?"

"With great pleasure, madame."

"Here it is; accept at the same time this purse, and my promise to give you twice as much as it contains if you bring me a reply from the count--a line written by him."

Bahuchet could hardly hold in his hand the purse that Valentine placed there, it was stuffed so full of gold pieces to its very mouth. He was dazzled; he gazed at the purse in respectful admiration; and when he heard the marchioness promise him twice as much more, his devotion could contain itself no longer, and he cried:

"You shall have a reply from monsieur le comte, madame! You shall have it, even if I have to write it myself!--No, not that; my zeal carries me away; I do not know what I am saying!--But, once more, madame, the count shall send you a reply; I will make it my business."

"You will take this letter to him at once?"

"Yes, madame. Oh! on the instant.--The other man may keep on bathing; I don't care a fig for that!"

"Do you know where the count is now?"

"At his little hotel in Rue de Bretonvilliers, I presume?"

"No; he is at present at the Hotel de Marvejols, on Place Royale."

"Very good; I fly thither----"

"One moment! Leodgard is under the same roof with--his wife; you will understand that you must give this letter into his own hands. Do not intrust it to any other person. Ask to speak with the count in private; see to it that there is no one with him when he reads my letter."

"I understand, madame, I understand. Never fear! I see that mystery is necessary; I will act with all prudence."

"Do not say, when you present yourself at the house, that you come from me; in that case, you would not be allowed access to Leodgard!"

"I am not so stupid!--By the way, madame; this reply which, I make no doubt, the count will give me--where shall I deliver it to you?"

"Come here again this evening, at nine o'clock; you will find Miretta here--she will await your coming."

"Very good! And Miretta will--will hand me what madame la marquise is generous enough to promise me?"

"I always fulfil my promises, monsieur."

"Then I will go at once to Place Royale."

"And at nine o'clock this evening----"

"I will return here."

The marchioness joined Miretta and walked rapidly away with her, while little Bahuchet, after fondling for a moment the purse filled with gold, thrust it into his belt, and hastened away toward Place Royale.

And while all these things were happening, the Chevalier de Pa.s.sedix, clad only in s.h.i.+rt, ruff, and funnel-shaped boots, paced the floor of his bathroom, stamping angrily and muttering:

"Knave of a page! blackguard of an esquire! Where on earth are they?

What has become of them? Cadedis! if this is the way those villains serve me, I will kick them out of my employ at the earliest possible moment!--But I shall not have the trouble of doing it if they do not return. Miserable knaves! they have robbed me again! They shall have a taste of Roland!--Woe to them if I ever fall in with them!"

And in his rage Pa.s.sedix seized his sword, drew it from the scabbard, and threatened everything within his reach; which performance caused the bath attendant, who had remained in one corner of the room, to shudder with fear. At last, losing patience, and feeling extremely cold, Pa.s.sedix halted in front of him and said:

"We must make an end of this! Come, varlet, take off your short-clothes instantly! be quick about it!"

"Take off my short-clothes! What for?"

"Sandis! so that I may put them on, of course! I can't stand here all day in my s.h.i.+rt!"

"But I have no others, monsieur; and if you take mine, then I shall be in my s.h.i.+rt."

"That makes no difference to me--a terrible calamity, truly, that you should be a little cool in your turn!"

"No, no! I won't give you my short-clothes!"