“He is a king!” murmured he, in an accent of despair.
Then, before he had recovered from his sombre reverie all
the noise, all the splendor, had passed away. At the angle
of the street there remained nothing beneath the stranger
but a few hoarse, discordant voices, shouting at intervals,
“Vive le Roi!”
There remained likewise the six candles held by the
inhabitants of the hostelry des Medici; that is to say, two
for Cropole, two for Pittrino, and one for each scullion.
Cropole never ceased repeating, “How good-looking the king
is! How strongly he resembles his illustrious father!”
“A handsome likeness!” said Pittrino.
“And what a lofty carriage he has!” added Madame Cropole,
already in promiscuous commentary with her neighbors of both
sexes.
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
Cropole was feeding their gossip with his own personal
remarks, without observing that an old man on foot, but
leading a small Irish horse by the bridle, was endeavoring
to penetrate the crowd of men and women which blocked up the
entrance to the Medici. But at that moment the voice of the
stranger was heard from the window.
“Make way, monsieur l’hotelier, to the entrance of your
house!”
Cropole turned around, and, on seeing the old man, cleared a
passage for him.
The window was instantly closed.
Pittrino pointed out the way to the newly-arrived guest, who
entered without uttering a word.
The stranger waited for him on the landing; he opened his
arms to the old man and led him to a seat.
“Oh, no, no, my lord!” said he. “Sit down in your presence?
— never!”
“Parry,” cried the gentleman, “I beg you will; you come from
England — you come so far. Ah! it is not for your age to
undergo the fatigues my service requires. Rest yourself.”
“I have my reply to give your lordship, in the first place.”
“Parry, I conjure you to tell me nothing; for if your news
had been good, you would not have begun in such a manner;
you go about, which proves that the news is bad.”
“My lord,” said the old man, “do not hasten to alarm
yourself, all is not lost, I hope. You must employ energy,
but more particularly resignation.”
“Parry,” said the young man, “I have reached this place
through a thousand snares and after a thousand difficulties;
can you doubt my energy? I have meditated this journey ten
years, in spite of all counsels and all obstacles — have
you faith in my perseverance? I have this evening sold the
last of my father’s diamonds; for I had nothing wherewith to
pay for my lodging and my host was about to turn me out.”
Parry made a gesture of indignation, to which the young man
replied by a pressure of the hand and a smile.
“I have still two hundred and seventy-four pistoles left,
and I feel myself rich. I do not despair, Parry; have you
faith in my resignation?”
The old man raised his trembling hands towards heaven.
“Let me know,” said the stranger, — “disguise nothing from
me — what has happened?”
“My recital will be short, my lord, but in the name of
Heaven do not tremble so.”
“It is impatience, Parry. Come, what did the general say to
you?”
Page 41
Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
“At first the general would not receive me.”
“He took you for a spy?”
“Yes, my lord, but I wrote him a letter.”
“Well?”
“He read it, and received me, my lord.”
“Did that letter thoroughly explain my position and my
views?”
“Oh, yes!” said Parry, with a sad smile; “it painted your
very thoughts faithfully.”
“Well — then, Parry?”
“Then the general sent me back the letter by an
aide-de-camp, informing me that if I were found the next day
within the circumscription of his command, he would have me
arrested.”
“Arrested!” murmured the young man. “What! arrest you, my
most faithful servant?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And notwithstanding you had signed the name Parry?”
“To all my letters, my lord; and the aide-de-camp had known
me at St. James’s and at Whitehall, too,” added the old man
with a sigh.
The young man leaned forward, thoughtful and sad.