Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/133

“How long is it since I have heard the story of the Battle of Studzianka?”

“About two months.”

“Two months, good, that is a decent interval; my uncle will have no ground for grumbling. I will go to-morrow and hear his account of that engagement, that will be five francs for certain.”

“I,” said Marcel, “will go and sell a deserted manor-house to old Medicis. That will make another five francs. If I have time enough to put in three towers and a mill, it will perhaps run to ten francs, and our budget will be complete.”

And the two friends fell asleep dreaming that the Princess Belgiojoso begged them to change their reception day, in order not to rob her of her customary guests.

Awake at dawn, Marcel took a canvas and rapidly set to work to build up a deserted manor-house, an article which he was in the habit of supplying to a broker of the Place du Carrousel. On his side, Rodolphe went to pay a visit to his Uncle Monetti, who shone in the story of the Retreat from Moscow, and to whom Rodolphe accorded five or six times in course of the year, when matters were really serious, the satisfaction of narrating his campaigns, in return for a small loan which the veteran stove-maker did not refuse too obstinately when due enthusiasm was displayed in listening to his narrations.

About two o’clock, Marcel with hanging head and a canvass under his arm, met on the Place du Carrousel Rodolphe, who was returning from his uncle’s, and whose bearing also presaged ill news.

“Well,” asked Marcel, “did you succeed?”

“No, my uncle has gone to Versailles. And you?”

“That beast of a Medicis does not want any more ruined