Granville's estate

Arleide's plans also went a bit awry after Louis' visa was blocked by a plot by Napoleonists to assassinate the Count of Artois.

For the current Alred, the rent at No. 79 St. George Street is too expensive. He originally planned to find a decent place to live as soon as possible after Louis left Paris— — in Paris, this often meant sharing the same apartment with the landlord and other tenants, for which he was prepared — and then moved out immediately from the Rue Saint-Georges in order to get back what he had paid for in advance However, the owner of 79 St. George Street was not willing to let the money he had already got slip through his fingers. The gentleman did not even show his face, but sent a servant to give Alred a reply: "Sir, you can If you live here until Christmas, it doesn’t matter if you want to move out early, but the money will not be returned to you.”

"That cunning old man!"

After the servant left, Alred complained to Louis so angrily: "Who will move at Christmas time, he just wants me to continue living at that time!"

"Al, that's good, we can have a little more time to find a new place to live."

Louis has never experienced this kind of rent being withheld by the landlord—after all, he has his own house in Magon, so naturally he doesn’t need to think about this kind of thing—it seems that the money will not be returned, so he can only comfort My friend: "The house you went to see with me yesterday, although the rent of 30 francs a month is indeed very cheap, but it is too dilapidated and not very suitable for your status. It’s troublesome to interact with people, isn’t it?” After all, no matter in Paris or in Magon, where you live is closely related to your status!

He was referring to a house in the Latin Quarter that Allred took him to see yesterday. It was the fourth floor of an old apartment that was old enough to be their great-grandfather's. The environment was suitable for those low-status workers. Pretty good, but terrible when compared to 79 St Georges - only a short stay there before they learned that the second floor was inhabited by an unknown gossip tabloid (which was already It’s a very euphemistic way of saying) reporters, and the third floor are two antique dealers who are used to cheating; however, maybe it’s to make up for the big mistakes they made (of course, there is also the reason for the instigation of the agent who brought them there!) At that time, Allaide actually had the idea that "such a house and residents are acceptable", which made Louis very worried that his friend would make a wrong decision because of overcorrection.

New accommodation is indeed a headache, and how to balance a limited budget with the necessary decency is a delicate science, but Mr. Richard, a shrewd furniture merchant, came to 79 St. George Street Acquired most of Alred's furniture at a fairly low price, and came to examine his spoils—on hearing of their troubles, the merchant exclaimed: "Ah, gentlemen! Since you have carriages, So why don't you think about a house in the swamp? It's cheap, quiet and decent, of course, the only problem is that it's too boring for you young people who like to have fun. "

"What kind of place is that?" Louis asked. He remembered that Allred seemed to have said that the Latin Quarter and the Swamp District were both within his consideration. Never been there!

"One—how should I put it, Mr. Farentin, you need to go there to experience it yourself." Richard said, the businessman looked at Alred and Louis, as if to measure whether they could integrate into the special situation in the swamp area. In the atmosphere: "The people who live there are quite decent and religious people, but they are far away from the fun places like Tabe Street and Boulevard Angdan-I don't just mean the distance on the map. If If you want, I can recommend to you an old friend of mine, Monsieur du Dubois, who lives in the Rue Massillon in the Marais, and just told me the other day that the tenant on the second floor had recently moved out. , he is looking for a new resident of good character, status and dignity."

It sounds like it takes considerable consideration to become the new tenant of Mr. Du Dubois, and Louis immediately became interested: "So, Mr. Richard, how much is the rent at Mr. Du Dubois's place?" ?”

"Eighty francs a month, gentlemen, which is not expensive in Paris. The Rue Massillon has a good reputation."

It was indeed not expensive—the annual rent was nearly [-] francs, enough for a family of five to barely survive in Paris—Louis hesitated, but Alred was obviously moved by Mr. Richard's words.

"May I ask you to take us to visit M. du Dubois tomorrow?"

So the matter was settled, and as a reward, the furniture merchant got a walnut footstool that was likely to be new; the next day was Sunday, and Mr. Richard specifically asked them to attend the mass in a nearby church before they could leave swampy area.

"This is a very, very necessary thing." Mr. Richard emphasized to the two friends. "If you neglect the religious ceremony, it is impossible to be accepted by Massillon Street."

Attending Mass on Sundays and religious holidays is of course very important to a devout Christian, but Louis didn't like the church in St. George Street very much, and he avoided going there unless necessary-for no other reason, let us think Just think of the kind of people who live in this neighborhood: dependent men and women, these gentry and semi-gentlemen who have no qualms about sacred occasions, who can turn any place into a romantic place. A hangout place!

This time the mass is the same, Louis can see the latest fashion for women's clothing and men's clothing in the St. George's block church, without even asking the tailor for the latest fashion: the last time he came, it was popular to open the neckline to the maximum low cut This time, I don’t know which noble lady brought the fashion (or was severely criticized by some priest), and all the women who came to the church wore thin gauze shawls without exception. This serves as a cover for the shoulders and breasts—but those "spun airs" are of no use at all, and instead allow women to coquettishly more freely.Even the priest couldn't help looking at the pious women kneeling down to pray during mass, let alone other men.

For a pious believer, this is really an annoying situation, so when Louis and Allred entered the swamp area in a carriage, they found that the religious atmosphere here was extremely strong, almost as good as the piety of the provinces. During the solemn moment, Louis' shock can be imagined.

"The feeling here is exactly the same as Magon!"

If Rue Tebes, Boulevard d'Andan and the Bois de Boulogne are the youngest, most in a hurry, and the most dynamic areas of Paris, then the Marais is undoubtedly a quiet area for the elderly, and the difference between them is almost greater than that of the provinces and Paris. The difference is even bigger—here, even the air is cold and heavy, and the buildings on both sides of the street are not newer than those in the Latin Quarter, but much more dignified and solemn; The old decorations all show a kind of aristocratic solemnity that has weathered wind and rain in the quiet air, which makes people feel awe when they see it.

This is a secluded area, away from the noise and temptations of Paris.The solemn atmosphere is everywhere, with a faint scent of incense in the air, and people dress conservatively, not in Paris, but more like in the provinces: the men dress seriously, and there are basically no playboys in Paris. The trousers of the kind I like; and whether it is a woman passing by or a young girl who is sewing in the window and is attracted by the sound of the carriage and looks out, it is like the Vicomte de Bougogne The out-of-place Vicomtesse de Morel at the Madame's ball also wore a turban that tightly wrapped her hair, and her skirts were also rather simple.

"The residents of this area are famous for their religious beliefs."

Allred said to Louis, his eyes fixed on Louis: "I think if we live in such a place, even if the rent is relatively expensive, it will be a very good choice. The air here is cool to the lungs. And a pious neighbor can always remind us not to forget the teachings of the Lord."

It turns out that Alred's real purpose is this!

Only then did Louis understand why Alred was quite moved when Mr. Richard mentioned the swamp area.

Their relationship these past two days has been quite strange. Unless necessary, Alrede was unwilling to mention Viscount de Durand in front of Louis, so even Mr. Dumont of Durand Bank was deliberately ignored (even if that Because of the matter of Sologne Grostedt, Mr. frequently sent people to send new news to Alred); and because of the promise he made and the matter of Liulishi, Louis did not dare to mention it in front of Alred again. And Callister, which led to him failing to get back the pocket watch and franc box that Callister gave him——Alred seemed to have forgotten about it, and directly took his gold The pocket watch and an old franc case were given to Louis.

The two friends knew very well who it was because of. Louis felt guilty and uneasy about it, while Alrede tried his best to bring his friend back from the edge he thought was dangerous. At this time, faith was undoubtedly It is the best entry point, so it is not surprising that Alred made this move to move to the swamp area with a large number of devout believers.

In Louis's speechless silence, their carriage passed through the quiet Nun Street, entered the Massillon Street, and then met Mr. Richard's carriage waiting there, and led them to visit the people who lived in Massillon. M. du Dubois, Rue 47.

Needless to say, the house at No. 47 Massillon Street, although the building is quite old, is kept quite clean, and the second floor is more convenient for rent, with five rooms, two storage rooms and two servant rooms , the space is quite ample; the residents living on the third and fourth floors are also people of a certain status, and at the same time, the good reputation of this neighborhood will undoubtedly help Allaide: In any case, there is always nothing wrong with piety, As for the colorful world that young people like, it's better to put it aside for the time being.

Mr. du Dubois, a serious man in his fifties, with a virtuous wife and two unmarried daughters, who lived in the seven well-to-do rooms on the ground floor of the four-storey apartment, considered his future tenants At the beginning, he asked about every detail, and when he asked later, Louis almost thought that this gentleman was not picking a tenant to live on his second floor, but a future son-in-law.

However, it is hard to say that Mr. du Dubois has no such intentions-when he learns that Alred's father is a count, and he has an income of thousands of francs every year just relying on annuities (of course, Alred concealed everything about his estate), the gentleman glanced at his wife with great satisfaction; and his wife obviously preferred a handsome young man like Louis, when she learned that Louis would not stay in Paris After a while, the lady's disappointment was palpable.

"Gentlemen, you can move here whenever you want."

After some conversation, Mr. du Dubois made this decision very readily. Needless to say, the rent was charged at 80 francs, but this gentleman generously provided new conveniences: "I can allow you Use the firewood room at the back of the house, as for the wine cellar in the basement, you can also use it if you want."

Allred begged him very earnestly that he liked the house and the atmosphere of the neighborhood very much, but that he could not move in until before Christmas, and whether the rent in the meantime could be negotiated.

"Ah, it's all right, it's not a big deal." Mr. du Dubois said, obviously his appreciation for these two young and beautiful youths has surpassed the rent of a few dozen francs: "This house I can keep it for you, and when you move in, you can go to the church here to participate in the Christmas celebration with our family."

"Mr. du Dubois believed in you so much that he didn't even accept your deposit. You can't let him down." At this moment, Mr. Richard interrupted, and the words he said obviously won the favor of his old friend. Heart: "Although you will have to wait for a while to move in, you are actually a member of Massillon Street! My old man, in this case, it is better for them to visit the Countess de Lopez first." .”

Mr. du Dubois thought it was a good idea. He explained to the two new tenants who were puzzled: "Mrs. They all respect her so much that any newcomer here will pay her a visit. Come with me, gentlemen, and I will be glad to introduce you to my lady."

This does not seem to be a problem, but when Louis and Allred followed their future landlady to get permission to enter the living room of the Countess de Lopez, the problem arose——

—The Countess de Lopez already has a guest today, a noble visitor, Mr. Viscount Callister de Durand.