The Galley Slave's Ring Part 14

"Oh, monsieur!"

"The flower of linendrapers."

"Monsieur, monsieur, you embarra.s.s me. I do not deserve--"

"You do not deserve! Come, my dear Monsieur Lebrenn; on the contrary, you deserve that, and a good deal more."

"Monsieur, I shall hot venture to contradict you. When will you want the s.h.i.+rts?" asked the merchant, rising. "If the matter is urgent, the labor will come somewhat higher."

"Do me the favor, first of all, to resume your seat, my good man! Do not take your leave from me so abruptly. I may have some other orders for you."

"Monsieur, in obedience to your orders I shall sit down again. When will you want the order filled?"

"Toward the end of next month."

"In that case, monsieur, the four hundred and fifty s.h.i.+rts, of good quality, will cost seven francs apiece."

"Very well, upon my honor! That's cheap, my dear Monsieur Lebrenn. That is a compliment that, I suppose, is not often heard from a purchaser, hey?"

"No, it is not at all frequent; that's true, monsieur. But you mentioned some other orders."

"Zounds, my good man! You do not take your eyes from the cards. Your thoughts run to solid business."

"Eh! Eh! monsieur, one is a merchant in order to sell--"

"And are you selling much these days?"

"Hem--hem--so so, indifferently--"

"Indeed? Only so so? Well, so much the worse, my dear Monsieur Lebrenn!

That must go against your grain--because I presume you have a family to maintain?"

"You are very considerate, monsieur. I have a son."

"And are you bringing him up to be your successor?"

"That's it, monsieur! He attends the Central School of Commerce."

"How old is the fine fellow? You have only one son, my dear Monsieur Lebrenn?"

"Begging your pardon for contradicting you, I also have a daughter."

"A daughter also! The dear Lebrenn! If she at all looks like her mother she must be a charming girl--"

"Eh! Eh!--she is slender--she is comely--"

"You must be proud of her. Come, confess it!"

"Zounds! I do not deny it, monsieur. More than that I can not say."

"Strange," thought the Count of Plouernel to himself, "the fellow has a curiously old-fas.h.i.+oned style of expression. It must be something peculiar to St. Denis Street. He puts me in mind of my old steward Robert, who brought me up, and who spoke like the people of the previous century."

The Count proceeded aloud:

"Forsooth! Coming to think of it, I should pay a visit to dear Madam Lebrenn."

"Monsieur, she is at your service."

"You should know that I contemplate giving a tournament soon in the large yard of my barracks, where my dragoons are to go through all manner of exercises on horseback. You must promise me to come some Sunday to the rehearsal with Madam Lebrenn; and I wish you to accept, without any compliments, a little collation after we leave the place."

"Oh, monsieur, that's too much honor to us--you overwhelm me--"

"Never mind that; you are joking; is it agreed?"

"May I bring my boy along?"

"Zounds! Of course!"

"And also my daughter?"

"How can you put such a question to me, my dear Monsieur Lebrenn?"

"Indeed, monsieur? You won't object if my daughter--"

"Better still! I have an idea, my dear man; an excellent idea!"

"What is it, monsieur?"

"Did you ever hear of the tourneys of olden days?"

"Tourneys, monsieur?"

"Yes, in the days of chivalry."

"I beg your pardon, monsieur; plain people like us--"

"Well, dear Monsieur Lebrenn, in the days of chivalry, tourneys were held, and at those tourneys several of my ancestors, whom you see there," and he waved his hand towards the pictures, "took a hand."

"Bless my soul!" exclaimed the merchant, affecting great surprise, and following with his eyes in the direction pointed by the colonel, "I was thinking to myself, there is something of a family resemblance."

"You think so?"

"I do, monsieur--I beg your pardon for the great liberty--"

"Don't begin apologizing again! For G.o.d's sake, be not so very formal at all points, my dear man! As I was saying, at those tourneys there always was what was called a _Queen of Beauty_. She distributed the prizes to the victors. Now, then, that shall be the role for your charming daughter. She shall be the Queen of Beauty at the tournament that I am about to give--she will be well worthy of the distinction."

"Oh, monsieur! That is too much! Oh, it is too much! Moreover, do you not think that for a young girl--to be in that way--in plain view--vis-a-vis to messieurs your dragoons--is a little--I beg your pardon for the great liberty--but it is a little--what shall I say?--a little--"

"Dismiss all such scruples, my dear Monsieur Lebrenn. The n.o.blest dames were in olden days chosen as the Queens of Beauty at the tourney. They even gave a kiss to the victor, on his mouth."