FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  
make the explanations which I am sure that he has it in his power to make. Yesterday morning, therefore, I sent to him." "And he is here?" I said drily. Parabere admitted with a blush that he was not. His messenger had found Bareilles on the point of starting against a band of plunderers who had ravaged the country for a twelvemonth. He had sent me the most; civil messages therefore--but he had not come. "However, he will be at Gueret to-morrow," Parabere added cheerfully. "Will he?" I said. "I will answer for it," he answered. "In the meantime, he has done what he can for our comfort." "How?" I said, "He bids us not to attempt the last three leagues to Gueret to-night; the road is too bad. But to stay at Saury, where there is a good inn, and to-morrow morning he will meet us there." "If the brigands have not proved too much for him," I said. "Yes," Parabere answered, with a simplicity almost supernatural. "To be sure." After this, it was no use to say anything to him, though his officiousness would have justified the keenest reproaches. I swallowed my resentment, therefore, and we went on amicably enough, though the valley of the Creuse, in its upper and wilder part, through which our road now wound, offered no objects of a kind to soften my anger against the governor. I saw enough of ruins, of blocked defiles, and overgrown roads; but of returning prosperity and growing crops, and the King's peace, I saw no sign--not so much as one dead robber. About noon we alighted to eat a little at a wretched tavern by one of the innumerable fords. A solitary traveller who was here before us, and for a time kept aloof, wearing a grand and mysterious manner with a shabby coat, presently moved; edging himself up to me where I sat a little apart, eating with Parabere and my gentlemen. "Sir," he said, on a sudden and without preface, "I see that you are the leader of this party." As I was more plainly dressed than Parabere, and had been giving no orders, I wondered how he knew; but I answered, without any remark, "Well, sir; and what of that?" "You are in great danger," he replied. "I?" I said. "Yes, sir; you!" he answered. "You know me?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Not I," he said, "but those who speak by me. Enough that you are in danger." "From what?" I asked sceptically; while my companions stared, and the troopers and servants, who were just within hearing, listened open-
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109  
110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Parabere
 

answered

 

morrow

 

Gueret

 

danger

 
morning
 
wearing
 

hearing

 
manner
 

edging


presently

 

traveller

 
shabby
 

mysterious

 
robber
 

innumerable

 
listened
 
tavern
 

alighted

 

wretched


solitary

 

Enough

 

orders

 

wondered

 

giving

 

plainly

 

dressed

 

shoulders

 

shrugged

 

remark


troopers

 
stared
 

sudden

 

servants

 

gentlemen

 
replied
 

eating

 
companions
 

preface

 
leader

sceptically
 

comfort

 
meantime
 
cheerfully
 

answer

 

attempt

 
leagues
 

However

 
messenger
 

Bareilles