The White House Part 12

"Do you propose to pa.s.s your life in restaurants?"

"No, of course not; but it's only half-past twelve, messieurs.--What does one do all day long when one is rich?"

"Attends to his business, when he has any, and enjoys himself when he has an opportunity--and that doesn't happen every day."

"I don't propose to leave you to-day, my friends. I will take you wherever you would like to go; to the Bouffes if you please; there's a performance there to-day. That's the rich man's theatre, and I shall go nowhere else; but it isn't one o'clock, and we can't go to the Bouffes in the morning."

"Edouard and I are going for a ride," said Alfred, "and we shall probably take a turn in the Bois de Boulogne."

"To ride!" cried Robineau; "the devil! that's my style; I'll go with you!"

"Do you know how to sit a horse?"

"Never fear. It would be a great joke if a man with twenty-five thousand francs a year shouldn't know how to sit on a horse!"

"In that case, come with us; I'll lend you a mare that has a very gentle trot."

"That's the thing; and I'll make her gallop all the time. By the way, my friends, another word before we go: do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"After this, don't call me Robineau any more, but call me by my Christian name--Jules; that is more _distingue,_ it has a pleasanter sound."

"I will call you Monsieur le Marquis Jules, if you choose," laughed Edouard.

"As for me," said Alfred, "I shall call you whatever comes into my head."

"Try to let nothing come into it but Jules, I entreat you."

They returned to Alfred's house, on foot this time, because, despite Robineau's entreaties, the two friends did not care to crowd themselves into his cabriolet again. The _nouveau riche_ decided therefore to dismiss his carriage, and accompanied his friends on foot; but on the way he a.s.sumed airs and graces which caused his companions much amus.e.m.e.nt. He did not deign to glance at the mult.i.tude, he refused to turn aside for anyone, for in his opinion everybody should have been eager to give way to him. But such was not the case; and as his impertinent air did not prepossess people in his favor, they did not make way for him; some even ventured to jostle him, and he received more than one blow for persisting in blocking the path.

"It's very foolish to go on foot when you have a carriage!" he exclaimed; while Alfred and Edouard observed in an undertone:

"There's something more foolish than that."

They arrived at the hotel De Marcey. The two friends were soon in the saddle, and Alfred's groom led out for Robineau's use a pretty little mare which pawed the ground and displayed a n.o.ble ardor for the road.

Robineau began to frown and walked around the horse, saying:

"It seems to me that this horse is a vicious-looking animal."

"On the contrary she is the gentlest creature you can imagine; she's a lady's horse."

"Then she will do for me. But why does she stamp so?"

"Because she's impatient for a gallop."

"The devil! if she's impatient, she'll run away; I don't want to ride like a madman!"

"Don't be alarmed! Don't you know how to mount?"

"Yes, yes; but when one has just breakfasted, one should go gently; that's a principle of mine."

"If you don't wish to go at all, you are at liberty not to do so; let us go without you."

"No--par Dieu! I am with you! Oh! you will see how gracefully I ride--what a seat I have!"

"Mount then."

"Which side do I mount?"

"What! you don't know on which side to mount?"

"I have forgotten; it was a long while ago that I learned."

"My dear Robineau, you'll have a fall."

"Jules! I told you to call me Jules; why won't you do it?--I say, Germain, just hold the stirrup for me--that's right."

"Boldly now! Ah! how heavy you are!"

Robineau succeeded at last in placing his right leg on the other side of the saddle; he was fairly mounted and he glanced triumphantly about.

"Let us be off," said Alfred; and he gave the rein to his horse; but Robineau, bounding up from the saddle, cried:

"Stop! stop! I am not ready. What the devil! you fellows start off without giving me time to get settled; my stirrup leathers are too long, my toes hardly reach the stirrup."

"That is the way to have them; you will rise less."

"Why, I came just within an ace of going over my horse's head. I like my stirrup leathers very short; that gives one a much firmer seat.--Take them up a little for me, Germain--a little more; that's right.--There--now I am glued to my saddle."

"Well! may we start now?"

"Yes, yes; let us start."

Alfred and Edouard rode off and Robineau followed them. Despite the shortened stirrup leathers, he b.u.mped and rolled about on his saddle, although he had grasped the pommel with his right hand. As they were in Paris, they went no faster than a slow trot, and Robineau succeeded in keeping pace with them, calling out from time to time:

"Not so fast, messieurs! galloping in the streets of Paris is forbidden."

"But we are not galloping, are we?"

"Never mind--don't go so fast, I beg you; I am not used to it yet, and then it's more amusing to go slowly."

When they reached the Champs-Elysees, Robineau was already drenched with perspiration, and his hat, which the jolting had displaced, was so far back on his head that his hair flew about unconfined over his brow.

"Come on, Monsieur Jules," said Edouard, "let us have a bit of a canter here; it's a superb road."

"Yes, yes, the road's very nice; but it seems to me that my breakfast rises a little higher with each step that this infernal beast takes; she has a terribly hard trot, this mare of yours!"