United States or Jamaica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I am sorry to pain you, but I feel sure if Robeccal has assisted in carrying away this girl that he has placed her with La Roulante. Therefore, while I go to see Cinette's sick friend, you will hunt up this woman and her accomplice. Will you do this, Gudel?" Gudel, whose face had been buried in his hands, now looked up.
Gudel saw that there was something unusual going on in the mind of his friend. He had been long accustomed to unquestioning obedience to Fanfar. Ever since La Roulante left him after the attempt at assassination, Gudel had been a different man and subject to fits of great depression from which Fanfar alone could rouse him, and when Fanfar rushed into his room calling out, "The police! the police!"
"Ah! my lad, you made a great mistake. I felt it when you told me that you were about to marry the giantess. She had something about her eyes I didn't like. She doesn't ill-treat Caillette, I hope?" "Not if I know it!" answered Gudel, clenching his enormous fist. "Just let her lay a finger on the girl, that is all!" "You need not get so excited. And now about Bobichel how is he?"
I know of your accident, and I trust you will excuse my indiscretion when you hear my reasons." Iron Jaws bowed. "I was, a half hour since, in great danger, and one of your people saved my life. You will hear about that later on, I can not now delay to tell you." "But who was this person?" "His name was Fanfar." "I might have known it!" shouted Gudel, "he is always doing such things.
Gudel and his friends had bribed the functionaries. All went smoothly, and in an hour the hearse was to take Fanfar away. But before this, a card was brought in to the governor of the hospital.
I have something better than that," said Bobichel, and dashing to the inn he returned with a bottle of brandy. "Two drops of this," he said, "will do more than all the salts in the world." Fanfar administered a few drops to Gudel, who presently uttered a long sigh. "Living!" cried Fanfar. "Heaven be praised!" shouted Bobichel. Then, turning swiftly toward La Roulante, he added,
"Just the same as ever, honest and stupid." "And Robeccal?" "I mean to get rid of him for reasons of my own." "And the little boy?" Gudel shouted with laughter. "The little boy! Just wait until you see him. He is six feet, and a treasure. I am strong, but Fanfar is different from me.
On the lower floor he found Irène waiting; she was pale and dressed in black. "Ah! sir," she said, anxiety sharpening her voice, "tell me what all this means!" "Fanfar is not dead." The girl swayed to and fro. Gudel caught her, and went on. "No, he is not dead. I thought you ought to know it." "Where is he?"
A double, or rather a triple chin, rested on an enormous bosom, which seemed to have torn half the buttons from a much spotted cloth waist. This charming being was known as La Roulante, in which sobriquet was lost her real name of Charlotte Magnan. She was also the lawful wife of Gudel. And finally, to complete this hurried description, we must mention a person who followed the chariot on foot.
Cries of astonishment arose from the crowd. "He has killed himself!" cried some. "He has been poisoned!" said others. Irène hastened to find Gudel. She had seen him near the door, but he had vanished. The crowd departed, saying to each other, sadly: "He is dead!" Robeccal was carried off more dead than alive. His sentence had frightened him.
Word Of The Day