THE MEMOIRS OF A PHYSICIAN (Complete Edition: Volumes 1-5). Alexandre Dumas
and steward, leaving him alone with the black boy, who continued to roll his eyes and devour the bonbons.
What riddles for the country boy! what dreads and pangs for the philosopher who guessed that his manly dignity was in as much danger in Luciennes as at Taverney.
Still he tried to talk to Zamore, but that interesting African, sitting astride of a chair on casters, made it run him round the room a dozen times with a celerity which ought to have shown by anticipation that the velocipede was a practical machine.
Suddenly a bell tinkled and Zamore darted out of the room with as much rapidity as he had shown on the novel quadricycle.
Gilbert would have followed, but on looking through the doorway, he saw the passage so crowded with servants guarding noblemen in gay clothes, that he shivered and slunk back.
An hour passed, without the return of Zamore or Sylvie. Gilbert was longing for human company, when a footman came to take him to Mademoiselle Chon.
Free, after having informed her sister how she had conducted the mission to Lady Bearn, Chon was breakfasting with a hearty appetite, in a loose dressing-gown, in a morning room. She cast a glance on Gilbert without offering him a seat.
"How have you hit off with Zamore?" she inquired, after tossing off a glass of wine like liquid topaz.
"How could I make the acquaintance of a black boy who does not speak, but stares and gulps down candies?"
"I thought you said all were equal?"
"He may be my equal, but I do not think him so," answered Gilbert.
"What fun he is!" muttered Chon: "you seem not to give away your heart in a hurry?"
"With slowness, lady."
"I hoped you held me in affection?"
"I have considerable liking for you personally, but——"
"Thanks for so much! You overpower me. How long does it take for one to win the good graces of so disdainful a fellow?"
"Much time; some would never win them."
"Ah, this explains why you could suddenly leave Taverney Castle after staying there eighteen years. It appears that its masters could not obtain your friendship and confidence?"
"Not all."
"What did they do? Who displeased you?"
"I am not complaining."
"Oh, very well! if you do not want to give your confidence. I might help you to come out even with these Taverneys if you told me what they are like."
"I take no revenge, or I take it with my own hand," said Gilbert proudly.
"Still as you bear a grudge against them, or several, and we have one, we ought to be allies."
"You are wrong, lady. I feel very different toward different members of the family."
"Is Lord Philip one whom you paint black or rosy?"
"I bear no ill to Master Philip, who has done nothing to me one way or another."
"Then you would not be a witness against him in favor of my brother about that duel?"
"I should be bound to speak the truth, and that would be unfavorable toward Chevalier Dubarry."
"Do you make him out wrong?"
"He was so, to insult the dauphiness."
"Are you upholding the dauphiness?"
"I stand for justice."
"You are mad, boy; never talk of justice in a royal residence. When one serves a master, he takes the responsibility."
"Not so; every man should obey his conscience. Any way, I have no master. I did not ask to come here, and now I will go away, freely as I came."
"Oh, no, you don't," cried Chon, amazed at this rebellion and getting angered.
Gilbert frowned.
"No, no, let us have peace. Here you will have but three persons to please. The king, my sister and myself."
"How am I to please you?"
"Well, you have seen Zamore? He gets already so much a year out of the royal private purse; he is governor of Luciennes, and though he may be laughed at for his blubber lips and complexion, he is courted and called my lord."
"I shall not do that."
"What, when you assert that all men are brothers?"
"That is the reason why I will not acknowledge him my lord."
Chon was beaten with her own weapons; she bit her lips.
"You do not seem to be ambitious?"
"Yes, I am," and his eyes sparkled.
"To be a doctor? You shall be a doctor. That was the costume you were measured for. Royal physician, too."
"I? who know not the A B C of medical science. You are mocking at me, lady."
"Does Zamore know anything about governing a castle?"
"I see: you want me to be a sham doctor, a buffoon? The king wants another merry-maker?"
"Why not? Don't you know that the Duke of Tresmes begs my sister to appoint him her monkey. But don't hang your head. Keep that lumpish air for your doctoral uniform. Meanwhile, as you must live on something better than your pills, go and have breakfast with the governor."
"With Zamore? I am not hungry."
"You will be before evening; if we must give you an appetite, we will call in the whipper to the royal pages."
The youth trembled and turned pale.
"Go back to my Lord Zamore," continued Chon, taking the silence for consent, or at least submission. "You will find he is fed daintily. Mind not to be an ingrate, or you will be taught what gratitude is."
A lackey conducted Gilbert to the mock governor's dining-room, but he would not eat anything. Nevertheless, when the costume of the doctor in Molière's comedy was brought, he submitted to being shown how he was to wear it.
"I thought that the doctors of that time carried an inkhorn and a quill to write out their prescriptions," suggested Gilbert.
"By Jove they did!" exclaimed the steward. "Let us have the **** complete while we are about it."
The foreman charged to get the articles, also acquainted Chon, who was going to join her sister in Paris, with the astonishing willingness of her pet. She was so pleased that she sent a little purse with some silver in it, to be added to the doctor's girdle along with the inkhorn.
Gilbert sent his thanks, and expressed a wish to be left alone to put on the costume.
"Make haste," said the steward, "that the young lady may see you before she is off to Paris."
Gilbert looked out of the window to see how the gardens were arranged. Returning to the table, he tore the long black doctoral gown into three strips, which he made a rope of by tying the ends together. On the table he laid the hat and the purse and the following declaration which he wrote:
"Lady: The foremost of boons is Liberty. The holiest of duties is to preserve it. As you do violence to my feelings, I set myself free. Gilbert."
He addressed this epistle to Chon, tied his twelve feet of serge rope to the window sill, glided down like a serpent, and dropped on the terrace at risk of breaking his neck. Though stunned a little by the fall, he ran to some trees, scrambled up among the boughs, slipped downward till he was on a lower level and could reach the ground where he ran away with all his might.
When they came for him half an hour after, he was far beyond their reach.
Chapter XXVI.
The Old Botanist.