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The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 18 at Prostate Health
is the stronger reason for my remaining," saidthe unknown."Very well; but will monsieur keep all the apartments?""I do not understand you. Why should I require less to-daythan yesterday?""Because, monsieur, your lordship will permit me to say,yesterday I did not think proper, when you chose yourlodging, to fix any price that might have made your lordshipbelieve that I prejudged your resources; whilst to-day ----"The unknown colored; the idea at once struck him that he wassupposed to be poor, and was being insulted."Whilst to-day," replied he, coldly, "you do prejudge.""Monsieur, I am a well-meaning man, thank God! and simplehotelier as I am, there is in me the blood of a gentleman.My father was a servant and officer of the late MarechaldAncre. God rest his soul!""I do not contest that point with you; I only wish to know,and that quickly, to what your questions tend?""You are too reasonable, monsieur, not to comprehend thatour city is small, that the court is about to invade it,that the houses will be overflowing with inhabitants, andthat lodgings will consequently obtain considerable prices."Again the unknown colored. "Name your terms," said he."I name them with scruple, monsieur, because I seek anhonest gain, and that I wish to carry on my business withoutbeing uncivil or extravagant in my demands. Now the room youoccupy is considerable, and you are alone.""That is my business.""Oh! certainly. I do not mean to turn monsieur out."The blood rushed to the temples of the unknown; he darted atpoor Cropole, the descendant of one of the officers of theMarechal dAncre, a glance that would have crushed him downto beneath that famous chimney-slab, if Cropole had not beennailed to the spot by the question of his own properinterests."Do you desire me to go?" said he. "Explain yourself -- butquickly.""Monsieur, monsieur, you do not understand me. It is verycritical -- I know -- that which I am doing. I expressmyself badly, or perhaps, as monsieur is a foreigner, whichI perceive by his accent ---- "In fact, the unknown spoke with that impetuosity which isthe principal character of English accentuation, even amongmen who speak the French language with the neatest purity."As monsieur is a foreigner, I say, it is perhaps he whodoes not catch my exact meaning. I wish for monsieur to giveup one or two of the apartments he occupies, which woulddiminish his expenses and ease my conscience. Indeed, it ishard to increase unreasonably the price of the chambers,when one has had the honor to let them at a reasonableprice.""How much does the hire amount to since yesterday?""Monsieur, to one louis, with refreshments and the chargefor the horse.""Very well, and that of to-day?""Ah! there is the difficulty. This is the day of the kingsarrival; if the court comes to sleep here, the charge of theday is reckoned. From that it results that three chambers,at two louis each, makes six louis. Two louis, monsieur, arenot much; but six louis make a great deal."The unknown, from red, as we have seen him, became verypale.He drew from his pocket, with heroic bravery, a purseembroidered with a coat-of-arms, which he carefullyconcealed in the hollow of his hand. This purse was of athinness, a flabbiness, a hollowness, which did not escapethe eye of Cropole.The unknown emptied the purse into his hand. It containedthree double louis, which amounted to the six louis demandedby the host.But it was seven that Cropole had required.He looked, therefore, at the unknown, as much as to say,"And then?""There remains one louis, does there not, master hotelier?""Yes, monsieur, but ---- "The unknown plunged his hand into the pocket of hishaut-de-chausses, and emptied it. It contained a smallpocket-book, a gold key, and some silver. With this changehe made up a louis."Thank you, monsieur," said Cropole. "It now only remainsfor me to ask whether monsieur intends to occupy hisapartments to-morrow, in which case I will reserve them forhim; whereas, if monsieur does not mean to do so, I willpromise them to some of the kings people who are coming.""That is but right," said the unknown, after a long silence,"but as I have no more money, as you have seen, and as I yetmust retain the apartments, you must either sell thisdiamond in the city, or hold it in pledge."Cropole looked at the diamond
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