sed to drink
here--you know which I mean--and spread abroad the news of the arrival
of Herode's celebrated troupe at the Armes de France, with a new and
extensive repertoire, to give a few representations in Poitiers."

While this conversation was going on the rest of the comedians had
alighted, and were already being conducted to their respective rooms by
several servants. The one given to Isabelle was a little apart from the
others--those in their immediate vicinity being occupied--which was not
displeasing to the modest young girl, who was often greatly annoyed
and embarrassed by the promiscuous, free-and-easy way of getting
on, inseparable from such a Bohemian life. She always accepted the
inevitable with a good grace, and never complained of the vexation she
felt at being obliged to share her bed-chamber with Serafina or the
duenna, or perhaps both; but it was a luxury she had scarcely dared to
hope for to have her room entirely to herself, and moreover sufficiently
distant from her companions to insure her a good deal of privacy.

In a marvellously short space of time the whole town had become
acquainted with the news of the arrival of the comedians, and the young
men of wealth and fashion began flocking to the hotel, to drink a bottle
of Maitre Bilot's wine, and question him about the beauty and charms of
the actresses; curling up the points of their mustaches as they did so
with such an absurdly conceited, insolent air of imaginary triumph, that
the worthy landlord could not help laughing in his sleeve at them as
he gave his discreet, mysterious answers, accompanied by significant
gestures calculated to turn the silly heads of these dandified young
calves, and make them wild with curiosity and impatience.

Isabelle, when left alone, had first unpacked a portion of her clothing,
and arranged it neatly on the shelves of the wardrobe in her room, and
then proceeded to indulge in the luxury of a bath and complete change
of linen. She took down her long, fine, silky hair, combed it
carefully, and arranged it tastefully, with a pale blue ribbon entwined
artistically in it; which delicate tint was very becoming to her, with
her fair, diaphanous complexion, and lovely flush, like a rose-leaf, on
her cheek. When she had put on the silvery gray dress, with its pretty
blue trimmings, which completed her simple toilet, she smiled at her
own charming reflection in the glass, and thought of a pair of dark,
speaking eyes tha