Granville's estate

Perhaps Chevet's Chicken Breast Pie with Matsutake and Hazelnut Sauce actually has nourishing properties - if so, the chefs in Paris might need to award a medal to whoever invented it! - Because of that, Louis hadn't had a fever since Galbien's visit that day.

After a few days of bed rest, Louis felt that he was completely recovered, but Dr. Muller, who saw him, thought that the patient still needed a good rest. Say yes to his trek back to Magon at this time ("If you want to be in God's arms sooner, then go!" are the doctor's words).As a result, Louis' original plan to return to Magon in the near future had to be put on hold.

Galbien de Durand never appeared again after sending Louis and the others the kindness of the Viscountess de Bourgogne, and the other Viscount de Durand never knocked on St. Georges Street The door of No. 79, as if his aggression at the Viscount de Bougogne's mansion that day was just an illusion under Louis's feverish mind; but No. 79 St. George Street is not considered cold - after knowing that Louis was ill, Sologne Grostedt, a college classmate and business partner from Allaide, came to visit them.

The shrewd businessman picked a fine day to come in a stagecoach, so that he could sit on the roof seat of the stagecoach without fear of the rain getting his clothes and hat wet, and only needed to He paid 15 centimes for the fare (30 centimes for a seat in the carriage!); he brought Alred and Louis some inexpensive but very practical gifts: Honey and freshly whipped butter, fresh vegetables picked from the garden two hours before, eggs freshly picked from the straw with their shells still warm, and good quality figs and apples.The money needed to buy these gifts may not add up to twenty francs, but their quality is the same as those sold at the Royal Palace Market for ten times as much, or even better-these fruits and vegetables They all come from the poor people in the suburbs of Paris who earn less than a thousand francs a year and can only eat poor-quality dry bread and chickpeas. In order to survive, they have to sell the freshest food in exchange for candles and candles. The money for bread must also endure the pickiness and lower prices of the merchants!

"This kind of gift is very in line with Sologne's character!"

After sending Sologne away that day, Alrede said so while looking at the basket of gifts with a smile, he happily asked Father Tonsart to take the flat-bottomed rattan basket full of things—in Paris, this kind of basket The baskets are usually used by maids to hold bread, that is, the kind of big round bread that can weigh five or six kilograms each—he took it to the second floor and put it in front of his friend: "Look, Louis, these are so Rogne gave it to us, this is the most precious gift that money can't buy in Paris!"

"I am very grateful for Mr. Sologne's kindness, but aren't these just some vegetables, fruits and honey?" Louis asked puzzledly, "How can it be said that they are the most precious things in Paris?"

"Oh, you don't understand." Alrede teased him solemnly, "You know, in Paris, the vegetables and fruits we usually eat are actually second-hand goods, and some even those unscrupulous businessmen really can't sell them. Go out and just sprinkle water on it and sell it as fresh off the pick - real fresh off the pick and good quality honey butter is hard to find! I bet these things would be in the Palace Market , will surely sell for more than a hundred francs!"

"If that's the case, Mr. Sologne really bothered."

On the day when the figs sent by Sologne were eaten up, Dr. Müller finally allowed Louis to go out and get some fresh air.

"Going out at four o'clock in the afternoon is good for your health, but please don't go where there are too many people."

Because of the doctor's words, Alred regrettably gave up the idea of ​​taking Louis to the Bois de Boulogne or the Tuileries Garden, and chose to take a carriage around Saint-Georges Street.

While driving in the carriage, Louis once again mentioned to Alred that he wanted to return to Magon, and this time Alred rejected him politely.

"No matter what, it will take a while, and I can rest assured that you will go back when you are better." Alred said, closing the gap of the carriage window again: "You have just been sick. , How can I rest assured that you are traveling alone!"

"But I'm fine now." Louis tried to convince his friend, "Besides, I'm not alone, there is Peter taking care of me on the way!"

"That's different!" said Alrede, who seemed so unhappy at the mention of the subject that Louis had to hold off on leaving Paris for the time being.

When evening fell, they went to Papa Denis's restaurant and had a good dinner and a little wine to celebrate God's blessing on Louis; Following behind in the carriage, they walked leisurely arm in arm for a while before boarding the carriage again and returning to No. 79 St. George Street.

It was almost eight o'clock at this time, and from a distance, they saw a carriage parked in front of the steps of 79 St. George Street.

"How strange! Who will visit us at this time?"

Alrede said to Louis in bewilderment that he tried his best to see whose carriage it was by the light of the street lamp, but failed because the distance was too far; it was not until they got close that they finally realized that it was a carriage. The orange blossoms and gold ribbons used as decorations in the first carriage have not been removed, and the hire coach that may have picked up the newlyweds this morning.

"Oh! The master is finally back!" There were no passengers in the rental carriage parked in front of the steps, and the coachman sitting on the driver's seat hid his hands in his sleeves to keep warm, as if he was waiting for something.When he saw Allred and their carriage stopped at the gate of No. 79 St. George Street, the driver of the rented carriage yelled loudly, and stretched out his hand to Louis who got out of the carriage first: "Gentlemen, let I waited for two full hours! Thanks for your patronage, the fare is three and a half francs, and I have to give a tip of half a franc!"

"Wait," Louis said, he was a little confused: "It's not us who are riding in your carriage, why should we pay and give tips?"

"Ah! Do you want to renege on your debt?" The coachman of the rented carriage took Louis's question as a refusal, and he yelled angrily: "The fare for an hour is one franc and 75 centimes. I am waiting for you two hour, that's three and a half francs—you can ask around here, sir, I've always charged fairly, and you don't think I'm one of those who charge a lot; but if you won't pay, it's fine I want my money back before the judge!"

"I didn't say your charges were unfair." Facing such a coachman, Louis only felt a dull pain in his forehead: "I just want to know, who asked you to ask us for money?" The coachman should Could it be that he was cheated?

"That's what the lady in my carriage said. She said that as long as the owner of this house comes back, she will definitely pay for her—if you don't believe me, call her out and ask!"

"What madam?"

At this time, Alred also got off the carriage. He was also confused when he heard what the cabbie said, and looked at Louis in blank dismay.

Perhaps hearing the movement outside, someone from No. 79 St. George Street came out in a hurry with a candle.

"Mr. Alred." To the surprise of Alred and Louis, it was not the maid Mary who came out, but a woman they never thought would appear here: "It's me, can you replace me first?" Paid for the carriage?"

"My God!" Alred was startled when he saw this lady, "Mrs. Busa, why did you come to me at this time?"

"I have some more urgent matters. After much deliberation, I can only come to you—about our wayward Marguerite." Mrs. Busa said, perhaps because she came out in a hurry, she only wore Dressed in a frayed light-brown silk robe, but draped over a long cashmere shawl for warmth.

As soon as he heard that it was about Margaret, Alred became anxious. He pulled out his franc box from his coat pocket, opened it, took a five-franc silver coin and threw it to the cab driver, even Neither asked him for the franc change he was supposed to get back.

"Mary, why haven't you paid for the carriage for Madame Bussa?"

Louis walked into the living room on the first floor of No. 79, St. George Street, following the hurried Alred and Mrs. Buscha, and saw Mary sitting in front of the fireplace doing small needlework by the firelight. He remembered that when he first came to Paris, Mary She can use some change that Allred gave her as a household, so she asked casually.

Mary, who was embroidering on the handkerchief, blushed suddenly, lowered her head, and replied in a low voice: "I wanted to give it, sir, but I don't know Madam."

Louis just asked this question casually, and Mary's explanation seemed to make sense, so he didn't pay much attention to it; while the other gentleman in the living room didn't notice this kind of trivial matter at all, he was anxious to learn about him from Mrs. Buscha The situation of the beloved woman.

"What's the matter with Margaret, has something happened to her?"

Alred asked eagerly, perhaps because the fact that Mrs. Busa appeared at No. 79 St. George Street was unexpected and made people unconsciously associate with some bad things. He looked a little flustered.

Hearing Alred's question, Mrs. Busha hesitated instead.

"It's not a big deal, Mr. Allred." Mrs. Busa said, her eyes wandering over the furniture in the living room, and she didn't even dare to look at the person standing in front of her: "Marguerite she...she is very tired today. Not happy, drank a little more gin, and left me at home, to go, to the Opera at Misard, with her friends."

After Mrs. Bouchard stammered out the words "Missard's Opera House", just like throwing a stone into the water can immediately stir up waves, Alred's original eagerness suddenly turned into complete sullenness—— —he even got mad at Madame Bushar.

"How could you let her go to that kind of place?!"