FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  
it wise to return to his cell. "He laid his outer clothes conspicuously on the bed, left the rope outside to make it seem that he had fallen, and hid himself behind the door to await the arrival of the treacherous turnkey, arming himself with one of the iron bars he had filed out. The jailer, who returned rather earlier than usual to secure the dead man's leavings, opened the door, whistling as he came in; but when he was at arm's length, Beauvoir hit him such a tremendous blow on the head that the wretch fell in a heap without a cry; the bar had cracked his skull. "The Chevalier hastily stripped him and put on his clothes, mimicked his walk, and, thanks to the early hour and the undoubting confidence of the warders of the great gate, he walked out and away." It did not seem to strike either the lawyer or Madame de la Baudraye that there was in this narrative the least allusion that should apply to them. Those in the little plot looked inquiringly at each other, evidently surprised at the perfect coolness of the two supposed lovers. "Oh! I can tell you a better story than that," said Bianchon. "Let us hear," said the audience, at a sign from Lousteau, conveying that Bianchon had a reputation as a story-teller. Among the stock of narratives he had in store, for every clever man has a fund of anecdotes as Madame de la Baudraye had a collection of phrases, the doctor chose that which is known as _La Grande Breteche_, and is so famous indeed, that it was put on the stage at the _Gymnase-Dramatique_ under the title of _Valentine_. So it is not necessary to repeat it here, though it was then new to the inhabitants of the Chateau d'Anzy. And it was told with the same finish of gesture and tone which had won such praise for Bianchon when at Mademoiselle des Touches' supper-party he had told it for the first time. The final picture of the Spanish grandee, starved to death where he stood in the cupboard walled up by Madame de Merret's husband, and that husband's last word as he replied to his wife's entreaty, "You swore on that crucifix that there was no one in that closet!" produced their full effect. There was a silent minute, highly flattering to Bianchon. "Do you know, gentlemen," said Madame de la Baudraye, "love must be a mighty thing that it can tempt a woman to put herself in such a position?" "I, who have certainly seen some strange things in the course of my life," said Gravier, "was cognizant in Spain
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115  
116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Bianchon

 

Madame

 

Baudraye

 
husband
 
clothes
 

inhabitants

 
Mademoiselle
 

praise

 

finish

 

Chateau


gesture
 

Touches

 

doctor

 

Grande

 

phrases

 
collection
 

clever

 

anecdotes

 

Breteche

 
Valentine

repeat

 
famous
 

supper

 

Gymnase

 

Dramatique

 

Merret

 

mighty

 
gentlemen
 

minute

 

silent


highly

 

flattering

 

Gravier

 

cognizant

 

things

 

strange

 

position

 

effect

 

cupboard

 

walled


starved

 

grandee

 

picture

 

Spanish

 

crucifix

 

closet

 
produced
 

replied

 

entreaty

 

lovers