Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 18, 2025
"At a few minutes to seven," continued the duke, suiting the action to the word, "I take the crust off the pie. Inside it, I find two poniards, a rope-ladder, and a gag. I put one of the poniards to La Ramée's breast, and I say to him 'My good friend, La Ramée, if you make a motion or utter a cry, you are a dead man!"
The duke was obliged to make as many efforts to awake as he had done to go to sleep; and La Ramee found him so pale and fatigued that he inquired whether he was ill.
I will shape it out for you with my knife." And he took the gibbet and shaped it out as neatly as possible. "That's it," said the duke, "now make me a little hole in the floor whilst I go and fetch the culprit." La Ramee knelt down and made a hole in the floor; meanwhile the duke hung the crawfish up by a thread. Then he placed the gibbet in the middle of the room, bursting with laughter.
"Well, then," with well acted good-humor, "I allow Grimaud, but no one else; you must manage it all. Order whatever you like for supper the only thing I specify is one of those pies; and tell the confectioner that I will promise him my custom if he excels this time in his pies not only now, but when I leave my prison." "Then you think you will some day leave it?" said La Ramee.
Upon a sideboard appeared the colossal pie with the duke's arms on it, and seemingly cooked to a turn, as far as one could judge by the golden color which illuminated the crust. The rest of the dinner was to come. Every one was impatient, La Ramee to sit down to table, the guards to go and drink, the duke to escape. Grimaud alone was calm as ever.
"Yes, yes," said La Ramee, "the matter concerns you, for you will have the honor to serve us; and besides, however good an appetite we may have and however great our thirst, there will be something left on the plates and in the bottles, and that something will be yours." Grimaud bowed in thanks.
"Let us dispatch," said the duke. "My lord, one last favor." "What? speak, make haste." "Bind my arms, my lord, fast." "Why bind thee?" "That I may not be considered as your accomplice." "Your hands?" asked Grimaud. "Not before me, behind me." "But with what?" asked the duke. "With your belt, my lord!" replied La Ramee.
"When I have accomplished this," said the duke, "if the man is skilful, and manages to gain the confidence of my jailer, I shall have no difficulty in keeping up a communication with my friends." "Indeed!" said La Ramée; "how so?" "Easily enough," replied M. de Beaufort; "in playing at ball, for instance."
"The devil!" replied the prince; "surely, at the death of Mazarin. I am fifteen years younger than he is. At Vincennes, 'tis true, one lives faster " "My lord," replied La Ramee, "my lord " "Or dies sooner, for it comes to the same thing." La Ramee was going out. He stopped, however, at the door for an instant. "Whom does your highness wish me to send to you?" "Any one, except Grimaud."
Meantime he uncorked the bottles and went to smell if the pie was good. At half-past six the duke arose and said very gravely: "Certainly, Caesar was the greatest man of ancient times." "You think so, my lord?" answered La Ramee. "Yes." "Well, as for me, I prefer Hannibal." "And why, pray, Master La Ramee?" asked the duke.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking