CHAPTER XI.
MYSTERIOUS PROCEEDINGS.
The doctor pointed to a chair, looked at his watch, and said:--
"I hope you have had a pleasant journey. Arrived this morning?"
There was not the faintest gleam of recognition on his face. Not asmile; not a glance; nothing but the easy politeness of a stranger toa stranger.
"N--not exactly," I faltered. "Yesterday morning, sir."
"Ah, indeed! Spent the day in sight-seeing, I dare say. Admire Paris?"
Too much astonished to speak, I took refuge in a bow.
"Not found any lodgings yet, I presume?" asked the doctor, mending a penvery deliberately.
"N--not yet, sir."
"I concluded so The English do not seek apartments on Sunday. Youobserve the day very strictly, no doubt?"
Blushing and confused, I stammered some incoherent words and sattwirling my hat, the very picture of remorse.
"At what hotel have you put up?" he next inquired, without appearing toobserve my agitation.
"The--the Hotel des Messageries."
"Good, but expensive. You must find a lodging to-day."
I bowed again.
"And, as your father's representative, I must take care that you procuresomething suitable, and are not imposed upon. My valet shall gowith you."
He rang the bell, and the sad-colored footman appeared on the threshold.
"Desire Brunet to be in readiness to walk out with this gentleman," hesaid, briefly, and the servant retired.
"Brunet," he continued, addressing me again, "is faithful and sagacious.He will instruct you on certain points indispensable to a resident inParis, and will see that you are not ill-accommodated or overcharged. Ayoung man has few wants, and I should infer that a couple of rooms insome quiet street will be all that you require?"
"I--I am very grateful."
He waved down my thanks with an air of cold but polite authority; tookout his note-book and pencil; (I could have sworn to that massive goldpencil!) and proceeded to question me.
"Your age, I think," said he, "is twenty-one?"
"Twenty, sir."
"Ah--twenty. You desire to be entered upon the list of visiting studentsat the Hotel Dieu, to be free of the library and lecture-rooms, and tobe admitted into my public classes?"
"Yes, sir."
"Also, to attend here in my house for private instruction."
"Yes, sir."
He filled in a few words upon a printed form, and handed it to me withhis visiting card.
"You will present these, and your passport, to the secretary at thehospital," said he, "and will receive in return the requisite tickets ofadmission. Your fees have already been paid in, and your name has beenentered. You must see to this matter at once, for the _bureau_ closesat two o'clock. You will then require the rest of the day forlodging-seeking, moving, and so forth. To-morrow morning, at nineo'clock, I shall expect you here."
"Indeed, sir," I murmured, "I am more obliged than...."
"Not in the least," he interrupted, decisively; "your father's son hasevery claim upon me. I object to thanks. All that I require from you arehabits of industry, punctuality, and respect. Your father speaks well ofyou, and I have no doubt I shall find you all that he represents. Can Ido anything more for you this morning?"
I hesitated; could not bring myself to utter one word of that which Ihad come to say; and murmured--
"Nothing more, I thank you, sir."
He looked at me piercingly, paused an instant, and then rang the bell.
"I am about to order my carriage," he said; "and, as I am going in thatdirection, I will take you as far as the Hotel Dieu."
"But--but I have a cab at the door," I faltered, remembering, with asinking heart, that I had not a sou to pay the driver.
The servant appeared again.
"Let the carriage be brought round immediately, and dismiss thisgentleman's cab."
The man retired, and I heaved a sigh of relief. The doctor bent low overthe papers on his desk, and I fancied for the moment that a faint smileflitted over his face. Then he took up his hat, and pointed to the door.
"Now, my young friend," he said authoritatively, "we must be gone. Timeis gold. After you."
I bowed and preceded him. His very courtesy was sterner than thedispleasure of another, and I already felt towards him a greater degreeof awe than I should have quite cared to confess. The carriage waswaiting in the courtyard. I placed myself with my back to the horses;Dr. Cheron flung himself upon the opposite seat; a servant out of liverysprang up beside the coachman; the great gates were flung open; and weglided away on the easiest of springs and the softest of cushions.
Dr. Cheron took a newspaper from his pocket, and began to read; soleaving me to my own uncomfortable reflections.
And, indeed, when I came to consider my position I was almost indespair. Moneyless, what was to become of me? Watchless and moneyless,with a bill awaiting me at my hotel, and not a stiver in my pocketwherewith to pay it.... Miserable pupil of a stern master! luckless sonof a savage father! to whom could I turn for help? Not certainly to Dr.Cheron, whom I had been ready to accuse, half an hour ago, of havingstolen my watch and purse. Petty larceny and Dr. Cheron! how ludicrouslyincongruous! And yet, where was my property? Was the Hotel desMessageries a den of thieves? And again, how was it that this same Dr.Cheron looked, and spoke, and acted, as if he had never seen me in hislife till this morning? Was I mad, or dreaming, or both?
The carriage stopped and the door opened.
"Hotel Dieu, M'sieur," said the servant, touching his hat.
Dr. Cheron just raised his eyes from the paper.
"This is your first destination," he said. "I would advise you, onleaving here, to return to your hotel. There may be letters awaitingyou. Good-morning."
With this he resumed his paper, the carriage rolled away, and I foundmyself at the Hotel Dieu, with the servant out of livery standingrespectfully behind me.
Go back to my hotel! Why should I go back? Letters there could be none,unless at the Poste Restante. I thought this a very unnecessary piece ofadvice, rejected it in my own mind, and so went into the hospital_bureau_, and transacted my business. When I came out again, Brunettook the lead.
He was an elderly man with a solemn countenance and a mysterious voice.His manner was oppressively respectful; his address diplomatic; his stepstealthy as a courtier's. When we came to a crossing he bowed, stoodaside, and followed me; then took the lead again; and so on, during abrisk walk of about half an hour. All at once, I found myself at theHotel des Messageries.
"Monsieur's hotel," said the doctor's valet, touching his hat.
"You are mistaken," said I, rather impatiently. "I did not ask to bebrought here. My object this morning is to look for apartments."
"Post in at mid-day, Monsieur," he observed, gravely. "Monsieur'sletters may have arrived."
"I expect none, thank you."
"Monsieur will, nevertheless, permit me to inquire," said thepersevering valet, and glided in before my eyes.
The thing was absurd! Both master and servant insisted that I must haveletters, whether I would, or no! To my amazement, however, Brunet cameback with a small sealed box in his hands.
"No letters have arrived for Monsieur," he said; "but this box was leftwith the porter about an hour ago."
I weighed it, shook it, examined the seals, and, going into the publicroom, desired Brunet to follow me. There I opened it. It contained afolded paper, a quantity of wadding, my purse, my roll of bank-notes,and my watch! On the paper, I read the following words:--
"Learn from the events of last night the value of temperance, the wisdomof silence, and the danger of chance acquaintanceships. Accept thelesson, and he by whom it is administered will forget the error."
The paper dropped from my hands and fell upon the floor. Theimpenetrable Brunet picked it up, and returned it to me.
"Brunet!" I ejaculated.
"Monsieur?" said he, interrogative
ly, raising his hand to his foreheadby force of habit, although his hat stood beside him on the floor.
There was not a shadow of meaning in his face--not a quiver to denotethat he knew anything of what had passed. To judge by the stolidindifference of his manner, one might have supposed that the delivery ofcaskets full of watches and valuables was an event of daily occurrencein the house of Dr. Cheron. His coolness silenced me. I drew a longbreath; hastened to put my watch in my pocket, and lock up my money inmy room; and then went to the master of the hotel, and informed him ofthe recovery of my property. He smiled and congratulated me; but he didnot seem to be in the least surprised. I fancied, some how, that matterswere not quite so mysterious to him as they had been to me.
I also fancied that I heard a suspicious roar of laughter as I passedout into the street.
It was not long before I found such apartments as I required, Piloted byBrunet through some broad thoroughfares and along part of theBoulevards, I came upon a cluster of narrow streets branching offthrough a massive stone gateway from the Rue du Faubourg Montmartre.This little nook was called the Cite Bergere. The houses were white andlofty. Some had courtyards, and all were decorated with pretty ironbalconies and delicately-tinted Venetian shutters. Most of them bore theannouncement--"_Apartements a louer_"--suspended above the door. Outsideone of these houses sat two men with a little table between them. Theywere playing at dominoes, and wore the common blue blouse of themechanic class. A woman stood by, paring celery, with an infant playingon the mat inside the door and a cat purring at her feet. It was apleasant group. The men looked honest, the woman good-tempered, and thehouse exquisitely clean; so the diplomatic Brunet went forward tonegotiate, while I walked up and down outside. There were rooms to belet on the second, third and fifth floors. The fifth was too high, andthe second too expensive; but the third seemed likely to suit me. The_suite_ consisted of a bed-room, dressing-room, and tiny _salon_, andwas furnished with the elegant uncomfortableness characteristic of ourFrench neighbors. Here were floors shiny and carpetless; windows thatobjected to open, and drawers that refused to shut; mirrors all roundthe walls a set of hanging shelves; an ormolu time piece that struck allkinds of miscellaneous hours at unexpected times; an abundance of vasesfilled with faded artificial flowers; insecure chairs of white and gold;and a round table that had a way of turning over suddenly like a tablein a pantomime, if you ventured to place anything on any part but theinlaid star in the centre. Above all, there was a balcony big enough fora couple of chairs, and some flower-pots, overlooking the street.
I was delighted with everything. In imagination I beheld my balconyalready blooming with roses, and my shelves laden with books. I admiredthe white and gold chairs with all my heart, and saw myself reflected inhalf a dozen mirrors at once with an innocent pride of ownership whichcan only be appreciated by those who have tasted the supreme luxury ofgoing into chambers for the first time.
"Shall I conclude for Monsieur at twenty francs a week?" murmured thesagacious Brunet.
"Of course," said I, laying the first week's rent upon the table.
And so the thing was done, and, brimful of satisfaction, I went off tothe hotel for my luggage, and moved in immediately.
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In the Days of My Youth: A Novel Page 7