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of me, so made little or no difficultyonly said, his inclination to serve me could reach no further than Calais, as he was to return by way of Brussels to Paris: however, when I had once passd there I might get to Paris without interruption; but that in Paris I must make friends, and shift for myself.Let me get to Paris, Monsieur le Count, said Iand I shall do very well. So I embarkd, and never thought more of the matter. When La Fleur told me the Lieutenant de Police had been enquiring after methe thing instantly recurredand by the time La Fleur had well told me, the master of the hôtel came into my room to tell me the same thing, with this addition to it, that my passport had been particularly askd after: the master of the hôtel concluded with saying, He hoped I had oneNot I, faith! said I. The master of the hôtel retired three steps from me, as from an infected person, as I declared thisand poor La Fleur advanced three steps towards me, and with that sort of movement which a good soul makes to succour a distressed onethe fellow won my heart by it; and from that single trait, I knew his character as perfectly, and could rely upon it as firmly, as if he had served me with fidelity for seven years. Mon seigneur! cried the master of the hôtelbut recollecting himself as he made the exclamation, he instantly changed the tone of itIf, Monsieur, said he, has not a passport (apparemment) in all likelihood he has friends in Paris who can procure him oneNot that I know of, quoth I, with an air of indifferenceThen certes, replied he, you ll be sent to the Bastile or the Chatelet, au moins. Poo! said I, the king of France is a good-natured soulhe ll hurt no bodyCela nempeche pas, said heyou will certainly be sent to the Bastile tomorrow morningBut I ve taken your lodgings for a month, answered I, and I ll not quit them a day before the time for all the kings of France in the world. La Fleur whisperd in my ear, That nobody could oppose the king of France. Pardi! said my host, ces Messieurs anglois sont des gens très extraordinairesand having both said and sworn ithe went out. The Passport The Hotel at Paris I could not find in my heart to torture La Fleurs with a serious look upon the subject of my embarrassment, which was the reason I had treated it so cavalierly: and to shew him how light it lay upon my mind, I dropt the subject entirely; and whilst he waited upon me at supper, talkd to him with more than usual gaiety about Paris, and of the opera comique.La Fleur had been there himself, and had followed me through the streets as far as the booksellers shop; but seeing me come out with the young fille de chambre, and that we walkd down the Quai de Conti together, La Fleur deemd it unnecessary to follow me a step furtherso making his own reflections upon it, he took a shorter cutand got to the hôtel in time to be informd of the affair of the Police against my arrival. As soon as the honest creature had taken away, and gone down to sup himself, I then began to think a little seriously about my situation. And here I know, Eugenius, thou wilt smile at the remembrance of a short dialogue which passd betwixt us the moment I was going to set outI must tell it here. Eugenius, knowing that I was as little subject to be overburthend with money as thought, had drawn me aside to interrogate me how much I had taken care for; upon telling him the exact sum, Eugenius shook his head, and said it would not do; so pulld out his purse in order to empty it into mineI ve enough in conscience, Eugenius, said IIndeed, Yorick, you have not, replied EugeniusI know France and Italy better than youBut you dont consider, Eugenius, said I, refusing his offer, that before I have been three days in Paris, I shall take care to say or do something or other for which I shall get clappd up into |
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