the hotel.

He was a man of about thirty-five years of age, but he did not look more
than twenty-eight, so carefully was he dressed. He was tall, with a fine
countenance and a distinguished air.

"Ah! good!" said he, "a large room and not a single guest. But there
must be something," he added, "either in your house or conduct that
keeps people away."

"Neither, monsieur," replied Madame Fournichon; "only the place is new,
and we choose our customers."

"Oh! very well."

"For example," continued she, "for a person like your lordship, we would
send away a dozen."

"Thanks, my kind hostess."

"Will monsieur taste the wine?" asked M. Fournichon.

"Will monsieur visit the rooms?" added his wife.

"Both, if you please."

Fournichon descended to the cellar.

"How many people can you lodge here?" asked the captain of the hostess.

"Thirty."

"That is not enough."

"Why so, monsieur?"

"I had a project--but we will speak of it no more."

"Ah! monsieur, you will find nothing larger, except the Louvre itself."

"Well; you can lodge thirty people?"

"Yes, doubtless."

"But for a day?"

"Oh! for a day, forty, or even forty-five."

"Without making a commotion outside?"--"We have often eighty soldiers
here, on Sundays."

"And no crowd before the house--no spying by the neighbors?"

"Mon Dieu! no! our nearest neighbors are a worthy bourgeois, who meddles
with no one, and a lady who lives so retired, that although she has been
here for three weeks, I have not seen her."

"That will do excellently."

"So much the better."

"And in a month from to-day--"

"That will be the 26th of October."

"Precisely. Well, on that day I hire your inn."--"The whole of it?"

"Yes, the whole. I wish to give a surprise to some countrymen,
officers--or at least--soldiers: they will be told to come here."

"But if it be a surprise--"

"Oh! if you are curious, or indiscreet--"

"No, no, monsieur," cried she.

M. Fournichon, who had heard what had passed, added, "Monsieur, you
shall be master here; and all your friends will be welcome."

"I did not say my friends, I said countrymen," replied the officer,
haughtily.

"Yes, monsieur, it was my mistake."

"You will give them supper."

"Certainly."

"If necessary, they will sleep here."

"Yes, monsieur."

"In a word, give them all they want, and ask no questions."

"Very well, monsieur."

"Here are thirty livres in advance."

"Well, monsieur, these gen