Yet he dared not hesitate; in the passage, waiting about the
doors, were four or five servants, and in the distance he caught sight of
three men belonging to Tavannes' company. At any moment, too, an upper
servant might meet them, ask what they were doing, and detect the fraud.
He turned at random, therefore--to the left as it chanced--and marched
along bravely, until the very thing happened which he had feared. A man
came from a room plump upon them, saw them, and held up his hands in
horror.
"What are you doing?" he cried in a rage and with an oath. "Who set you
on this?"
Tignonville's tongue clave to the roof of his mouth. La Tribe from
behind muttered something about the stable.
"And time too!" the man said. "Faugh! But how come you this way? Are
you drunk? Here!" He opened the door of a musty closet beside him,
"Pitch them in here, do you hear? And take them down when it is dark.
Faugh. I wonder you did not carry the things though her ladyship's room
at once! If my lord had been in and met you! Now then, do as I tell
you! Are you drunk?"
With a sullen air Tignonville threw in his mattress. La Tribe did the
same. Fortunately the passage was ill-lighted, and there were many
helpers and strange servants in the inn. The butler only thought them
ill-looking fellows who knew no better.
Pages:
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371