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Authors: Alexandre Dumas
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his strength, ” Nicole Legay, Nicole Legay ! “
” Who is this Nicole ? ” asked the stranger, calmly making his way to the house.
” Nicole Legay, sir? “replied Gilbert, with symptoms of some inward emotion.
” Yes ; she whom Master La Brie is calling.”
” Mademoiselle Andre’s waiting-maid, sir.”
In the meantime, in answer to the calls of La Brie, a light appeared under the trees, borne by a beautiful young girl.
” What do you want, La Brie ? What is all this fuss ? ” asked she.
” Quick, Nicole,” cried the quivering voice of the old man, ” run and tell the baron a strange gentleman is come to ask shelter.”
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 53
Nicole did not wait to be told twice, but flew off toward the chateau so quickly that in a moment she was out of sight.
As to La Brie, having thus satisfied himself that the baron should not be taken by surprise, he stopped and took breath.
The message soon produced an effect. A sharp, commanding voice was heard from the house, repeating, with an accent by no means indicating a wish to be hospitable ” A strange gentleman ? Who is he ? People don’t come in that way without sending up their names ! “
” Is it the baron himself ? ” asked he who was the cause of all the disturbance.
” Oh, yes, sir,” replied the poor frightened old man, ” you hear what he says.”
“He asks my name, I think.”
” Yes. I forgot to ask it, sir.”
” Say the Baron Joseph Balsamo. Our titles being the same, he will, perhaps, not be so angry.”
La Brie, a little emboldened by the rank of the stranger, announced him as he requested.
“Well,” grumbled the voice from the house, “since he is there, he must come in. Here, sir this way this way.”
The stranger advanced quickly ; but just as he reached the foot of the stone steps leading up to the door, he turned to see whether Gilbert was there or not. Gilbert had disappeared.
CHAPTER V.
THE BAROX DE TAVERXEY.
ALTHOUGH in some degree forwarned by Gilbert of the poverty of the Baron de Taverney, the person who had caused himself to be announced as the Baron Joseph Balsamo could not help being surprised at the miserable appearance of the abode, called by Gilbert, with emphasis, a chateau.
54 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
The house was built in the form of an oblong square of me story in height, with a square tower at each corner. Its irregular appearance had, however, something pleasing and picturesque, seen by the pale light of the moon, shining out from between the huge masses of the clouds left by the storm. There were six windows in the low building, and two in each tower that is, one window in each of its stories. A broad flight of steps led up to the hall-door, but they were so broken and rugged that they seemed rather a sort of precipice than a staircase.
Such was the dwelling, on the threshold of which the stranger was received by the Baron de Taverney, in his dressing-gown, and holding a candlestick in his hand. The baron was an little old man of from sixty to sixty-five years of age, with a keen eye and a high, retreating forehead, lie wore an old wig, which from frequent accidents with the candles on the mantelpiece had lost all the curls which the rats, which frequented his wardrobe, had left it. He held in his hand a napkin of very dubious whiteness, which indicated that he had been disturbed when going to sit down to supper.
In his malicious countenance, which slightly resembled that of Voltaire, two expressions struggled for mastery politeness required a smile for his guest, but vexation returned it to a rather decided atrabilious sneer. And thus lighted as he was by the candle in his hand, the flickering of which disturbed his features, the Baron de Taverney could not well be called anything but a very ugly nobleman.
” Sir ‘ said he, ” may I know to what fortunate circumstance I owe the pleasure of seeing you ? “
“Simply, sir, to the storm, which frightened my horses and caused them
” Who is this Nicole ? ” asked the stranger, calmly making his way to the house.
” Nicole Legay, sir? “replied Gilbert, with symptoms of some inward emotion.
” Yes ; she whom Master La Brie is calling.”
” Mademoiselle Andre’s waiting-maid, sir.”
In the meantime, in answer to the calls of La Brie, a light appeared under the trees, borne by a beautiful young girl.
” What do you want, La Brie ? What is all this fuss ? ” asked she.
” Quick, Nicole,” cried the quivering voice of the old man, ” run and tell the baron a strange gentleman is come to ask shelter.”
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 53
Nicole did not wait to be told twice, but flew off toward the chateau so quickly that in a moment she was out of sight.
As to La Brie, having thus satisfied himself that the baron should not be taken by surprise, he stopped and took breath.
The message soon produced an effect. A sharp, commanding voice was heard from the house, repeating, with an accent by no means indicating a wish to be hospitable ” A strange gentleman ? Who is he ? People don’t come in that way without sending up their names ! “
” Is it the baron himself ? ” asked he who was the cause of all the disturbance.
” Oh, yes, sir,” replied the poor frightened old man, ” you hear what he says.”
“He asks my name, I think.”
” Yes. I forgot to ask it, sir.”
” Say the Baron Joseph Balsamo. Our titles being the same, he will, perhaps, not be so angry.”
La Brie, a little emboldened by the rank of the stranger, announced him as he requested.
“Well,” grumbled the voice from the house, “since he is there, he must come in. Here, sir this way this way.”
The stranger advanced quickly ; but just as he reached the foot of the stone steps leading up to the door, he turned to see whether Gilbert was there or not. Gilbert had disappeared.
CHAPTER V.
THE BAROX DE TAVERXEY.
ALTHOUGH in some degree forwarned by Gilbert of the poverty of the Baron de Taverney, the person who had caused himself to be announced as the Baron Joseph Balsamo could not help being surprised at the miserable appearance of the abode, called by Gilbert, with emphasis, a chateau.
54 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
The house was built in the form of an oblong square of me story in height, with a square tower at each corner. Its irregular appearance had, however, something pleasing and picturesque, seen by the pale light of the moon, shining out from between the huge masses of the clouds left by the storm. There were six windows in the low building, and two in each tower that is, one window in each of its stories. A broad flight of steps led up to the hall-door, but they were so broken and rugged that they seemed rather a sort of precipice than a staircase.
Such was the dwelling, on the threshold of which the stranger was received by the Baron de Taverney, in his dressing-gown, and holding a candlestick in his hand. The baron was an little old man of from sixty to sixty-five years of age, with a keen eye and a high, retreating forehead, lie wore an old wig, which from frequent accidents with the candles on the mantelpiece had lost all the curls which the rats, which frequented his wardrobe, had left it. He held in his hand a napkin of very dubious whiteness, which indicated that he had been disturbed when going to sit down to supper.
In his malicious countenance, which slightly resembled that of Voltaire, two expressions struggled for mastery politeness required a smile for his guest, but vexation returned it to a rather decided atrabilious sneer. And thus lighted as he was by the candle in his hand, the flickering of which disturbed his features, the Baron de Taverney could not well be called anything but a very ugly nobleman.
” Sir ‘ said he, ” may I know to what fortunate circumstance I owe the pleasure of seeing you ? “
“Simply, sir, to the storm, which frightened my horses and caused them
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