“Yes, monsieur, he had to go to a place ten leagues from here, to see my aunt, who is very sick.”
“Has the lady who slept here had everything that she wanted?”
“Oh, yes! monsieur; don’t you be afraid; that lady hasn’t wanted for anything. She’s upstairs. By the way, she says that she’s beginning to get tired of being all alone.”
“Patience! monsieur here has come to keep her company.--How about the breakfast; is it ordered?”
“Yes, monsieur; and it will be fine, I tell you. I was the one that went to the restaurant----”
“This little rascal is overflowing with intelligence,” said Daréna, turning to Chérubin, “and I recommend him to you in case you need anything.--Well, my dear friend, here you are with your charmer now, and I will leave you.”
“What! you are going to leave me?” cried Chérubin, almost in an offended tone.
“Why, I don’t see that there is anything more for me to do here; the rest is your business. You are going to breakfast tête-à-tête with a little foreigner, who is mad over you. Would not a third person be in the way?”
“Oh, yes! of course. Well, then, au revoir.”
“Au revoir, my dear marquis, and may love crown you with its sweetest favors!”
Daréna smiled, almost ironically, as he shook hands with Chérubin; then he flashed a glance at Bruno and left the house, closing the door behind him.
Chérubin felt intensely excited when he found himself in that strange house, in a quarter which was entirely unfamiliar to him, with no other company than a boy who stared at him with a sly expression, as he cracked nut after nut which he took from under his blouse.
The vestibule had two doors, both of which were open, disclosing the interior of two rooms, in one of which the only furniture was several rickety tables, and in the other, one table and a wretched cot bed; the windows on the boulevard were supplied with iron bars, but entirely unprovided with curtains.
Chérubin, who had seen this at a glance, reflected that Daréna had not spent much money in furnishing the house. Then he turned to Bruno, who was still breaking nuts, sometimes with his teeth and sometimes with his feet, and humming at intervals a tune of which nothing could be heard save: _tu tu tu tu tu tu r’lu tu_.
“Where is madame la comtesse’s apartment?”