The Bath Keepers Volume I Part 52

"And you will give it to me?--Ah! you are a friend!"

"Yes, I will give it to you, but on one little condition, and that is that you will do me a favor in return. Between friends, you know, when one obliges the other, he always expects reciprocity."

"What is it that I must do?" asked Plumard, with a frown.

"A very simple thing, which will not disturb you in the least. When you go home to-night, go into Landry the bath keeper's place--he is your neighbor--and hand his wife this white plume, which I picked up under their balcony one night when I walked home with you. Then you will say to Dame Ragonde: 'Your daughter's lovers lose their plumes at night, scaling your balcony; here is one which I picked up, and which belongs to a young n.o.bleman whose name your daughter will tell you.'--And then you will go away. It's the simplest thing in the world."

Plumard pushed his stool away from the table, crying:

"A very pretty commission that! I shall be well treated when I deliver that message.--No, no! do your errand yourself--you may have all the profit."

"As you please; but since you refuse to do it, we will say no more about the jar of pomade."

And Bahuchet began to whistle with an indifferent air. After a few minutes Plumard said, between his teeth:

"What an idea, to send to that girl's mother the plume her lover lost!--That is downright wicked, it's a villainous trick!--Have you any reason to complain of pretty Bathilde? I am surprised at that; I thought that you didn't know her."

"Plumard! there are mysteries which it is impossible to divulge.--As for the girl, she will say to her mother: 'It is not true, I have no lover'; and that will be the end of it."

"Do you think so?"

"Parbleu! are girls who have lovers ever at a loss for a lie?"

"That is true.--But another suggestion occurs to me."

"State it."

"Let us a.s.sume that I undertake this--th.o.r.n.y commission; how do I know that you will give me the jar of pomade then? You will laugh in my face when I claim it."

"I understand your suspicion, having now and then played some rather neat tricks on you; and I am so far from being angry with you, that I propose to prove to you that it will not be so this time."

And taking from his belt the purse he had received, Bahuchet produced a beautiful rose crown and placed it in Plumard's hand, saying:

"See, here is gold--and of good alloy. If I do not give you the jar of pomade when you claim it, I will allow you to keep this gold piece and not return it to me.--Do you think that I am tricking you, now?"

Plumard turned the coin over and over in his hand; he weighed it, rang it on the table, then put it in his pocket, and offered his comrade his hand, saying:

"It is a bargain; I will deliver the plume."

"And you will say exactly what I have told you?"

"I will say it without omitting a word. Where is the plume?"

"Here it is; conceal it under your doublet, as I have done. Let us empty this jug of wine, then you must go about your commission."

"This evening?"

"Why not? It is better to have it done with at once."

"And you will go for the jar of pomade?"

"I told you that I would give it to you to-morrow, and you may rely upon it. In any event, it seems to me that you have a sufficient guaranty."

"That is true."

The two clerks emptied the jug of wine, and Bahuchet paid the bill.

They left the wine shop.

The day was nearing its end.

"Until to-morrow!" said Bahuchet, shaking hands with his comrade.

"Until to-morrow!"

And the little man ran off in the opposite direction to that which Plumard took to go to Rue Dauphine. And as he ran, he laughed in his sleeve, saying to himself:

"Take the plume, dear boy; I am going to enjoy myself, to pa.s.s the night in jollification at a wine shop, and to make up a pomade to redeem my gold piece!"

As Plumard drew near to Master Landry's establishment, he felt that his resolution weakened; a nervous s.h.i.+ver ran through his limbs. To restore his courage, he pa.s.sed his hand over his bald head several times, saying to himself:

"Hair! it will make my hair grow! I shall have as much as Samson, perhaps! How handsome I shall be when I have some hair! No woman will be able to resist me then. And when they ask me for a lock, I shall not be compelled to refuse them, as I am to-day.--Ah! corbleu! sacrebleu!

morbleu! I must shrink at nothing in face of that hope! How beautifully I will dress my hair! I will have curls falling over my ears.--But suppose that old woman should rush at me and claw my eyes out! Peste!

then I should not see my hair grow!--My eyes are superb; I should never be able to console myself for the loss of even half of one of them.--This is a very embarra.s.sing, very delicate affair! Let me think a little. Might I not make some change in what I have to say when I deliver the plume? After all, Bahuchet won't be at my back to listen to what I say! He has taken me in many times; and if I should cheat him a little, where would be the harm?--And then, I should be sorry to make trouble for that girl, who, they say, is so pretty! Who knows whether some day, when I have some hair, she may not feel a tender affection for me, on being told of the service I rendered her?--Yes, I must be generous to beauty, and shelter my face from scratches."

In due time, Plumard reached the bath keeper's house.

It was dark and the shopkeepers were beginning to close their doors.

The old trooper of Henri IV sat in his doorway, smoking his pipe.

The clerk walked up and down the street several times; at last he decided to accost Landry, saying to himself:

"It matters little whether I give the plume to the father or the mother.

I prefer to address myself to the father; men understand each other better. I must be shrewd and subtle.--Ah! good evening, Master Landry!

How are you this evening? You are smoking, I see; that is a pleasant pastime. I should like very much to smoke, if it did not make me sick and make my head ache so that I can't see. I have an uncle who went into consumption from smoking a pipe, and two cousins who were made insane!--Ah! how pleasant it is to smoke!--The skies are dark to-night, and I am afraid we shall have a storm to-morrow; that would be a disappointment to me. I have a longing to take a ride in a _chaise a porteurs_, or a _brouette_--the new invention, you know? it is very convenient, and very fas.h.i.+onable in the best society; _brouettes_ cost only sixteen sous for the trip, or eighteen by the hour; while the _chaise a porteurs_ costs thirty sous for the trip. That is dear--yes, it's very dear! But how comfortable it must be in one!--Still, it's very nice in a _brouette_!"

Landry listened tranquilly to this outflow of words, eying the young clerk the while; when it was at an end, he answered coldly:

"As I don't know you, and as it makes no difference to me whether you ride in a _chaise_ or in a _brouette_, I am going to bed. Good-night!"

"Oh! stay a moment! You are in a terrible hurry. You do not recognize me, because it is beginning to grow dark, but I am one of your best customers; I bathe as many as fifteen times a week!--But so many people come to your place that you can't recognize all their faces!"

"That is possible! In that case, excuse me; but I am tired, and I am going to bed."

"One moment more, I beg!--Does your charming daughter also enjoy perfect health, like her worthy father?"

The old soldier began to examine the clerk more closely, muttering: