Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/83

having, like himself, their quarter to pay, had adjourned his claim indefinitely.

The clock of his stomach sounded the dinner-hour. He was then at the Maine barrier, where letter U lived. Schaunard mounted to letter U’s room, where he had a knife and fork, when there were such articles on the premises.

“Where are you going, sir?” asked the porter, stopping him before he had completed his ascent.

“To Monsieur U,” replied the artist.

“He’s out.”

“And madame?”

“Out too. They told me to say to a friend who was coming to see them this evening, that they were gone out to dine. In fact, if you are the gentleman they expected, this is the address they left.” It was a scrap of paper on which his friend U. had written, “We are gone to dine with Schaunard, No.—, Rue de ———. Come for us there.”

“Well,” said he, going away, “accident does make queer farces sometimes.” Then remembering that there was a little tavern near by, where he had more than once procured a meal at a not unreasonable rate, he directed his steps to this establishment, situated in the adjoining road, and known among the lowest class of artistdom as “Mother Cadet’s.” It is a drinking-house which is also an eating-house, and its ordinary customers are carters of the Orleans railway, singing-ladies of Mont Parnasse, and juvenile “leads” from the Bobino theatre. During the warm season the students of the numerous painters’ studios which border on the Luxembourg, the unappreciated and unedited men of letters, the writers of leaders in mysterious newspapers, throng to dine at “Mother Cadet’s,” which is famous for its rabbit-stew, its veritable sour-crout, and a mild white wine which smacks of flint.