Ten Years Later

by Alexandre Dumas

  This painful task accomplished, he laid himself down in bed again.

  "Well!" asked Malicorne, "what does this mean?"

  "That means that if you are in a hurry to have the letter from the Comtede Guiche for Monsieur, I have won my wager."

  "How the devil is that?"

  "That is transparent enough, I think; you take that paper."

  "Well?"

  "And you set out instead of me."

  "Ah!"

  "You put your horses to their best speed."

  "Good!"

  "In six hours you will be at Etampes; in seven hours you have the letterfrom the comte, and I shall have won my wager without stirring from mybed, which suits me and you too, at the same time, I am very sure."

  "Decidedly, Manicamp, you are a great man."

  "Hein! I know that."

  "I am to start then for Etampes?"

  "Directly."

  "I am to go to the Comte de Guiche with this order?"

  "He will give you a similar one for Monsieur."

  "Monsieur will approve?"

  "Instantly."

  "And I shall have my brevet?"

  "You will."

  "Ah!"

  "Well, I hope I behave genteely?"

  "Adorably."

  "Thank you."

  "You do as you please, then, with the Comte de Guiche, Malicorne?"

  "Except making money of him--everything?"

  "Diable! the exception is annoying; but then, if instead of asking himfor money, you were to ask----"

  "What?"

  "Something important."

  "What do you call important?"

  "Well! suppose one of your friends asked you to render him a service?"

  "I would not render it to him."

  "Selfish fellow!"

  "Or at least I would ask him what service he would render me inexchange."

  "Ah! that, perhaps, is fair. Well, that friend speaks to you."

  "What, you, Malicorne?"

  "Yes; I."

  "Ah! ah! you are rich, then?"

  "I have still fifty pistoles left."

  "Exactly the sum I want. Where are those fifty pistoles?"

  "Here," said Malicorne, slapping his pocket.

  "Then speak, my friend; what do you want?"

  Malicorne took up the pen, ink, and paper again, and presented them allto Manicamp. "Write!" said he.

  "Dictate!"

  "An order for a place in the household of Monsieur."

  "Oh!" said Manicamp, laying down the pen, "a place in the household ofMonsieur for fifty pistoles?"

  "You mistook me, my friend; you did not hear plainly."

  "What did you say, then?"

  "I said five hundred."

  "And the five hundred?"

  "Here they are."

  Manicamp devoured the rouleau with his eyes; but this time Malicorneheld it at a distance.

  "Eh! what do you say to that? Five hundred pistoles."

  "I say it is for nothing, my friend," said Manicamp, taking up the penagain, "and you exhaust my credit. Dictate."

  Malicorne continued:

  "Which my friend the Comte de Guiche will obtain for my friendMalicorne."

  "That's it," said Manicamp.

  "Pardon me, you have forgotten to sign."

  "Ah! that is true. The five hundred pistoles?"

  "Here are two hundred and fifty of them."

  "And the other two hundred and fifty?"

  "When I am in possession of my place."

  Manicamp made a face.

  "In that case give me the recommendation back again."

  "What to do?"

  "To add two words to it."

  "Two words?"

  "Yes, two words only."

  "What are they?"

  "In haste."

  Malicorne returned the recommendation; Manicamp added the words.

  "Good," said Malicorne, taking back the paper.

  Manicamp began to count out the pistoles.

  "There want twenty," said he.

  "How so?"

  "The twenty I have won."

  "In what way?"

  "By laying that you would have the letter from the Comte de Guiche ineight hours."

  "Ah! that's fair," and he gave him the twenty pistoles.

  Manicamp began to scoop up his gold by handfuls, and pour it in cascadesupon his bed.

  "This second place," murmured Malicorne, whilst drying his paper,"which, at the first glance appears to cost me more than the first,but----" He stopped, took up the pen in his turn, and wrote toMontalais:--

  "Mademoiselle,--Announce to your friend that her commission will not belong before it arrives; I am setting out to get it signed: that will betwenty-eight leagues I shall have gone for the love of you."

  Then with his sardonic smile, taking up the interrupted sentence:--"Thisplace," said he, "at the first glance, appears to cost more than thefirst; but--the benefit will be, I hope, in proportion with theexpense, and Mademoiselle de la Valliere will bring me back more thanMademoiselle de Montalais, or else,--or else my name is not Malicorne.Farewell, Manicamp," and he left the room.

  CHAPTER 81. The Courtyard of the Hotel Grammont