A Start in Life [38]
courts. I ask your
future protection, Excellency," added Schinner, turning to Oscar.
"I congratulate myself on having travelled with three such
distinguished men," said the count,--"a painter already famous, a
future general, and a young diplomatist who may some day recover
Belgium for France."
Having committed the odious crime of repudiating his mother, Oscar,
furious from a sense that his companions were laughing at him, now
resolved, at any cost, to make them pay attention to him.
"'All is not gold that glitters,'" he began, his eyes flaming.
"That's not it," said Mistigris. "'All is not old that titters.'
You'll never get on in diplomacy if you don't know your proverbs
better than that."
"I may not know proverbs, but I know my way--"
"It must be far," said Georges, "for I saw that person in charge of
your household give you provisions enough for an ocean voyage: rolls,
chocolate--"
"A special kind of bread and chocolate, yes, monsieur," returned
Oscar; "my stomach is much too delicate to digest the victuals of a
tavern."
"'Victuals' is a word as delicate and refined as your stomach," said
Georges.
"Ah! I like that word 'victuals,'" cried the great painter.
"The word is all the fashion in the best society," said Mistigris. "I
use it myself at the cafe of the Black Hen."
"Your tutor is, doubtless, some celebrated professor, isn't he?--
Monsieur Andrieux of the Academie Francaise, or Monsieur Royer-
Collard?" asked Schinner.
"My tutor is or was the Abbe Loraux, now vicar of Saint-Sulpice,"
replied Oscar, recollecting the name of the confessor at his school.
"Well, you were right to take a private tutor," said Mistigris.
"'Tuto, tutor, celeritus, and jocund.' Of course, you will reward him
well, your abbe?"
"Undoubtedly he will be made a bishop some day," said Oscar.
"By your family influence?" inquired Georges gravely.
"We shall probably contribute to his rise, for the Abbe Frayssinous is
constantly at our house."
"Ah! you know the Abbe Frayssinous?" asked the count.
"He is under obligations to my father," answered Oscar.
"Are you on your way to your estate?" asked Georges.
"No, monsieur; but I am able to say where I am going, if others are
not. I am going to the Chateau de Presles, to the Comte de Serizy."
"The devil! are you going to Presles?" cried Schinner, turning as red
as a cherry.
"So you know his Excellency the Comte de Serizy?" said Georges.
Pere Leger turned round to look at Oscar with a stupefied air.
"Is Monsieur de Serizy at Presles?" he said.
"Apparently, as I am going there," replied Oscar.
"Do you often see the count," asked Monsieur de Serizy.
"Often," replied Oscar. "I am a comrade of his son, who is about my
age, nineteen; we ride together on horseback nearly every day."
"'Aut Caesar, aut Serizy,'" said Mistigris, sententiously.
Pierrotin and Pere Leger exchanged winks on hearing this statement.
"Really," said the count to Oscar, "I am delighted to meet with a
young man who can tell me about that personage. I want his influence
on a rather serious matter, although it would cost him nothing to
oblige me. It concerns a claim I wish to press on the American
government. I should be glad to obtain information about Monsieur de
Serizy."
"Oh! if you want to succeed," replied Oscar, with a knowing look,
"don't go to him, but go to his wife; he is madly in love with her; no
one knows more than I do about that; but she can't endure him."
"Why not?" said Georges.
"The count has a skin disease which makes him hideous. Doctor Albert
has tried in vain to cure it. The count would give half his fortune if
he had a chest like mine," said Oscar, swelling himself out. "He lives
a lonely life in his own house; gets up very early in the morning and
works from three to eight o'clock; after eight
future protection, Excellency," added Schinner, turning to Oscar.
"I congratulate myself on having travelled with three such
distinguished men," said the count,--"a painter already famous, a
future general, and a young diplomatist who may some day recover
Belgium for France."
Having committed the odious crime of repudiating his mother, Oscar,
furious from a sense that his companions were laughing at him, now
resolved, at any cost, to make them pay attention to him.
"'All is not gold that glitters,'" he began, his eyes flaming.
"That's not it," said Mistigris. "'All is not old that titters.'
You'll never get on in diplomacy if you don't know your proverbs
better than that."
"I may not know proverbs, but I know my way--"
"It must be far," said Georges, "for I saw that person in charge of
your household give you provisions enough for an ocean voyage: rolls,
chocolate--"
"A special kind of bread and chocolate, yes, monsieur," returned
Oscar; "my stomach is much too delicate to digest the victuals of a
tavern."
"'Victuals' is a word as delicate and refined as your stomach," said
Georges.
"Ah! I like that word 'victuals,'" cried the great painter.
"The word is all the fashion in the best society," said Mistigris. "I
use it myself at the cafe of the Black Hen."
"Your tutor is, doubtless, some celebrated professor, isn't he?--
Monsieur Andrieux of the Academie Francaise, or Monsieur Royer-
Collard?" asked Schinner.
"My tutor is or was the Abbe Loraux, now vicar of Saint-Sulpice,"
replied Oscar, recollecting the name of the confessor at his school.
"Well, you were right to take a private tutor," said Mistigris.
"'Tuto, tutor, celeritus, and jocund.' Of course, you will reward him
well, your abbe?"
"Undoubtedly he will be made a bishop some day," said Oscar.
"By your family influence?" inquired Georges gravely.
"We shall probably contribute to his rise, for the Abbe Frayssinous is
constantly at our house."
"Ah! you know the Abbe Frayssinous?" asked the count.
"He is under obligations to my father," answered Oscar.
"Are you on your way to your estate?" asked Georges.
"No, monsieur; but I am able to say where I am going, if others are
not. I am going to the Chateau de Presles, to the Comte de Serizy."
"The devil! are you going to Presles?" cried Schinner, turning as red
as a cherry.
"So you know his Excellency the Comte de Serizy?" said Georges.
Pere Leger turned round to look at Oscar with a stupefied air.
"Is Monsieur de Serizy at Presles?" he said.
"Apparently, as I am going there," replied Oscar.
"Do you often see the count," asked Monsieur de Serizy.
"Often," replied Oscar. "I am a comrade of his son, who is about my
age, nineteen; we ride together on horseback nearly every day."
"'Aut Caesar, aut Serizy,'" said Mistigris, sententiously.
Pierrotin and Pere Leger exchanged winks on hearing this statement.
"Really," said the count to Oscar, "I am delighted to meet with a
young man who can tell me about that personage. I want his influence
on a rather serious matter, although it would cost him nothing to
oblige me. It concerns a claim I wish to press on the American
government. I should be glad to obtain information about Monsieur de
Serizy."
"Oh! if you want to succeed," replied Oscar, with a knowing look,
"don't go to him, but go to his wife; he is madly in love with her; no
one knows more than I do about that; but she can't endure him."
"Why not?" said Georges.
"The count has a skin disease which makes him hideous. Doctor Albert
has tried in vain to cure it. The count would give half his fortune if
he had a chest like mine," said Oscar, swelling himself out. "He lives
a lonely life in his own house; gets up very early in the morning and
works from three to eight o'clock; after eight