Granville's estate

At eight o'clock that night, a light cabriolet carriage stopped in front of the steps of 79 Rue Saint-Georges, and Galbien de Durand got out of the carriage with a twelve-wheeled carriage. The three-year-old boy walked into the living room of 79 St. George Street and greeted Alred, who was waiting there, in a personable manner.

"Monsieur Alred de Granville, I take the liberty of calling on you at this hour," Galbien said to Alred, "I am sorry for your long wait."

"Mr. Galbien, your visit is not a frequent event!" Alred said, in order to wait for Galbien's arrival, he specially asked Joseph to light the fireplace in the living room on the first floor.

Galbien must have understood the meaning hidden in Alred's words, and he laughed.

"It's normal for you to find it strange. In fact, I came to visit you for some reasons." He said, "I heard that your friend, Mr. Louis du Farentin, has been ill recently? Is he all right? "

"You are very well-informed—please sit down, do you want wine, or coffee?"

"Thank you for your kindness, the wine will be fine."

The two sat down in the living room, Joseph brought the wine, and after greeting each other—the kind of greetings that seem to be sincere but meaningless among nobles—Galbien finally said: Out of his intention.

"Actually, the Viscountess de Bourgogne asked me to come here." Galbien said, "Madame knew that your friend Mr. Louis du Farentin was ill, and she said to me, 'I like that beautiful child very much. , but I can't leave now, can you visit him instead of me'? So I came over."

"It turns out that I am really flattered by Madam's kindness," said Allred, who was a little puzzled: "But how does Madam know that my friend is sick?"

"I don't know about that. Mrs. de Bourgogne just happened to meet me while walking in the Tuileries Garden, and she entrusted me to come and take a look." Galbien shrugged, and he complained, "Originally I was Thinking, 'Okay, then I'll drop by your place to see', and guess what? The lady said 'people who are sick may need some chicken breast to nourish', and she asked me to go to the house before I came. A chicken breast pie at Wey's—by the Virgin Mary, as you know, the wagon line outside Chevey's used to go as far as Third Avenue, and I waited hours for this pie! That is why I have come to visit you at this hour, otherwise I would have come as early as five o'clock."

This kind of thing is indeed something that the Viscountess de Bourgogne would do, because she has always trusted the character of Mrs. de Bourgogne. The pies from Chevet Restaurant are a bit confusing.

"Chicken empanadas?" said Alred, a little puzzled: "I've never heard of a chicken empanada on the menu at Chever's, and their foie gras with matsutake The pies are very famous, indeed, they are delicious, but the price is too expensive, fifty francs a piece!"

"Yes, there has never been such a thing as a chicken breast pie on the external menu of Chevet Restaurant. In fact, it may only take an hour or two for the chefs to create this kind of pie out of thin air." Galbien said, his face The expression on the table is the kind of indifferent ease unique to noble children, a kind of relaxation that is used to extravagance and squandering: "Isn't Chevet's restaurant very good at making foie gras and matsutake pies? Madam said that foie gras is good for patients. Said it was too greasy to digest, so I asked them to replace the foie gras with chopped and mashed chicken breast, baked with matsutake and hazelnut paste. In this way, a new pie Kinds just popped out of the world, nutritious and delicious—ah, we've said so much, why don't you cut open the pie and let Mr. Farentin eat some while it's still fresh out of the oven? Today's weather It’s so cold, it might not taste good if it gets cold.”

As Galbien said, he gestured to the boy he brought, and the boy immediately stepped forward and opened the exquisite box made of thin wood that he was holding in his arms. Inside the box was a piece wrapped in exquisite gold The paper-wrapped round pies are about eight inches in diameter; when the wooden box is opened, the aroma and heat inside come out, making people intoxicated by smelling it.

"Ah, this is really wonderful! Ma'am, this idea is really wonderful, and the taste is simply delicious." Alred smelled the wonderful aroma of the pie, and was very happy to let Joseph go to the kitchen to get a plate and a bread knife. : "Louis didn't eat much today, I was worrying about it, he would definitely like such a delicious pie!"

"I think that's why Madam asked me to bring this gift. She must have also guessed that the patient's appetite will not be very good." Galbien said.

Joseph brought from the kitchen a large white porcelain plate usually used to hold bread, three exquisite small plates and a tray, and he and Galbien's servant carefully invited the delicate guest out of the box On the large white porcelain plate, open the golden wrapping paper with the Chevet restaurant logo, and at this time the whole picture of the whole chicken breast pie with hazelnut sauce and matsutake is fully revealed: soft, golden, with beautiful The diamond-shaped pattern, the sweetness of hazelnut paste and the unique rich aroma of matsutake are intertwined, just like the bread that only exists at the banquet of the gods in mythology.

"It's not easy to replace foie gras with chicken breast and hazelnut paste."

The boys were cutting the pie, and Galbien chatted with Alred: "In order to satisfy the whimsy of the Vicomtesse de Bourgogne, even if Chevet's restaurant is the top restaurant in Paris, it will take a lot of money." It took them hours and three ovens to get a perfect chicken breast pie, but the head chef told me it was a great idea, They can sell this pie to anxious customers who have sick people at home, and they might pay two hundred francs for it."

"Louis and I are very grateful for Madame's kindness to my friend," said Alred. To be honest, it seems that the kindness and the large sum of francs of the Viscountess de Bourgogne should not be given. A young man whom she had met only a few times; for a moment Alred thought of the lover's house broker who had entered their café box and suspected the lady's real intentions, but was immediately ashamed to dismiss it. I came up with this idea-Mrs. de Bougogne is usually a decent person, and she is by no means a frivolous woman, and her son, the Viscount de Bougogne, is several years older than Louis!

The servants cut the pie into eight equal parts, and served the handsome scallops on little plates with pictures of sheep.Viewed from the fan-shaped side, the filling inside the pie is as creamy and creamy, and the white chicken breast, hazelnut paste and matsutake have been completely integrated, which is mouth-watering.

"Follow me, Mr. Galbien!"

Alred motioned for Joseph to serve the pie, then made a "please" gesture to Galbien.

When they walked into the living room on the second floor, Louis was sitting on the bed with pillows, a newspaper in his hand, in a daze.When Galbien walked in, perhaps because the lighting in the living room was not very good, and Galbien's figure and eye color were very similar to his cousin, Louis almost took Galbien for a moment. The Vicomte de Durand.

"Louis, the Viscountess de Bourgogne knows that you are sick, so please ask Mr. Galbien to bring you a delicious pie from the Chevet restaurant." Alred did not notice the momentary change in Louis's expression at all. , he said happily to Louis.

Louie looked at Alred, then at Galbien, who walked over quickly when he was about to get up from the bed, and stopped him.

"Ah, Mr. Louis, please don't hesitate." Galbien said to him, "I heard that you have been sick for the past two days. Are you feeling better now? How do you feel?"

"Thank you for your concern, I feel fine now." Louis said, he was very suspicious of Alred's statement: "Mr. Galbien, did the Viscountess de Bourgogne ask you to come?"