“Perfume myself? Indeed, I shall not; perfumery makes me sick.”
“As you please, but put on your armor. Lucky Chérubin! you are about to possess one of the loveliest women I have ever seen; and her Polish accent, too, is most fascinating.”
“And she loves me, you say? she has admitted it?”
“Parbleu! how many times must I tell you? In fact, I should say that her conduct was quite sufficient proof of it.”
“She didn’t weep when she was kidnapped?”
“Weep! She danced--she adores dancing, it seems. By the way, I need not tell you that I have nothing left of the funds you advanced me. The postilion and my men to pay--the hire of the post-chaise and the house--and all the people I bribed. In fact, you owe me fifteen hundred francs.”
“Fifteen hundred francs!” exclaimed Chérubin, as he walked to his desk; “it costs a lot to abduct a woman!”
“To whom are you telling that? to me, who have abducted a hundred perhaps, in the course of my life? Indeed it was in that way that I spent a large part of my fortune; but it is a princely pleasure all the same, in which everybody cannot indulge.”
Chérubin handed Daréna the sum that he required, and said:
“Very good; send out for a cab; you will understand that we can’t go to your _petite maison_ with your tilbury and your groom. You should never take your servants into the secret of a mysterious intrigue like this; such people are too fond of talking.”
The old servant appeared, still with a long face, and cast an angry glance at Daréna. Chérubin ordered him to send for a cab.
“Will not monsieur take his cabriolet?” queried Jasmin, with an expression of surprise.
“Evidently not!” cried Daréna, laughing at Jasmin’s face; “as your master orders a cab, he doesn’t propose to take his cabriolet. Off with you, old ruin, and make haste, if you possibly can.”
“Old ruin!” muttered Jasmin, as he left the room. “Still another insult--and I must swallow it all! I am very much afraid that this ne’er-do-well will ruin my young master. I should like to know why he makes him take a cab, when he has his own tilbury and cabriolet.”
However, Jasmin did his errand; the cab was summoned. Chérubin went downstairs with Daréna, and they both entered the vehicle, which Jasmin looked after, with a far from pleased expression, as it drove away.