"Hauthor of 'Don Juan,' 'Child 'Arold,' and 'Cain, a Mystery,'"said Pogson:--"I do; and hearing the waiter calling you Madam la Bironn, took the liberty of hasking whether you were connected with his lordship; that's hall:" and my friend here grew dreadfully red, and began twiddling his long ringlets in his fingers, and examining very eagerly the contents of his plate.
"Oh, no: Madame la Baronne means Mistress Baroness; my husband was Baron, and I am Baroness.""What! 'ave I the honor--I beg your pardon, ma'am--is your ladyship a Baroness, and I not know it? pray excuse me for calling you ma'am."The Baroness smiled most graciously--with such a look as Juno cast upon unfortunate Jupiter when she wished to gain her wicked ends upon him--the Baroness smiled; and, stealing her hand into a black velvet bag, drew from it an ivory card-case, and from the ivory card-case extracted a glazed card, printed in gold; on it was engraved a coronet, and under the coronet the words BARONNE DE FLORVAL-DELVAL,NEE DE MELVAL-NORVAL.
Rue Taitbout.
The grand Pitt diamond--the Queen's own star of the garter--a sample of otto-of-roses at a guinea a drop, would not be handled more curiously, or more respectfully, than this porcelain card of the Baroness.Trembling he put it into his little Russia-leather pocket-book: and when he ventured to look up, and saw the eyes of the Baroness de Florval-Delval, nee de Melval-Norval, gazing upon him with friendly and serene glances, a thrill of pride tingled through Pogson's blood: he felt himself to be the very happiest fellow "on the Continent."But Pogson did not, for some time, venture to resume that sprightly and elegant familiarity which generally forms the great charm of his conversation: he was too much frightened at the presence he was in, and contented himself by graceful and solemn bows, deep attention, and ejaculations of "Yes, my lady," and "No, your ladyship," for some minutes after the discovery had been made.
Pogson piqued himself on his breeding: "I hate the aristocracy,"he said, "but that's no reason why I shouldn't behave like a gentleman."A surly, silent little gentleman, who had been the third at the ordinary, and would take no part either in the conversation or in Pogson's champagne, now took up his hat, and, grunting, left the room, when the happy bagman had the delight of a tete-a-tete.The Baroness did not appear inclined to move: it was cold; a fire was comfortable, and she had ordered none in her apartment.Might Pogson give her one more glass of champagne, or would her ladyship prefer "something hot." Her ladyship gravely said, she never took ANYTHING hot."Some champagne, then; a leetle drop?" She would!
she would! O gods! how Pogson's hand shook as he filled and offered her the glass!
What took place during the rest of the evening had better be described by Mr.Pogson himself, who has given us permission to publish his letter.
"QUILLACQ'S HOTEL (pronounced KILLYAX), CALAIS.
"DEAR TIT,--I arrived at Cally, as they call it, this day, or, rather, yesterday; for it is past midnight, as I sit thinking of a wonderful adventure that has just befallen me.A woman in course;that's always the case with ME, you know: but oh, Tit! if you COULDbut see her! Of the first family in France, the Florval-Delvals, beautiful as an angel, and no more caring for money than I do for split peas.
"I'll tell you how it occurred.Everybody in France, you know, dines at the ordinary--it's quite distangy to do so.There was only three of us to-day, however,--the Baroness, me, and a gent, who never spoke a word; and we didn't want him to, neither: do you mark that?
"You know my way with the women: champagne's the thing; make 'em drink, make 'em talk;--make 'em talk, make 'em do anything.So Iorders a bottle, as if for myself; and, 'Ma'am,' says I, 'will you take a glass of Sham--just one?' Take it she did--for you know it's quite distangy here: everybody dines at the table de hote, and everybody accepts everybody's wine.Bob Irons, who travels in linen on our circuit, told me that he had made some slap-up acquaintances among the genteelest people at Paris, nothing but by offering them Sham.
"Well, my Baroness takes one glass, two glasses, three glasses--the old fellow goes--we have a deal of chat (she took me for a military man, she said: is it not singular that so many people should?), and by ten o'clock we had grown so intimate, that I had from her her whole history, knew where she came from, and where she was going.
Leave me alone with 'em: I can find out any woman's history in half an hour.
"And where do you think she IS going? to Paris to be sure: she has her seat in what they call the coopy (though you're not near so cooped in it as in our coaches.I've been to the office and seen one of 'em).She has her place in the coopy, and the coopy holds THREE; so what does Sam Pogson do?--he goes and takes the other two.Ain't I up to a thing or two? Oh, no, not the least; but Ishall have her to myself the whole of the way.
"We shall be in the French metropolis the day after this reaches you: please look out for a handsome lodging for me, and never mind the expense.And I say, if you could, in her hearing, when you came down to the coach, call me Captain Pogson, I wish you would--it sounds well travelling, you know; and when she asked me if I was not an officer, I couldn't say no.Adieu, then, my dear fellow, till Monday, and vive le joy, as they say.The Baroness says Ispeak French charmingly, she talks English as well as you or I.
"Your affectionate friend,"S.Pogson."This letter reached us duly, in our garrets, and we engaged such an apartment for Mr.Pogson, as beseemed a gentleman of his rank in the world and the army.At the appointed hour, too, we repaired to the Diligence office, and there beheld the arrival of the machine which contained him and his lovely Baroness.