"Oh, the first time," said he, in an excited way, still animated by the remembrance of such a glorious journey, "that was the fine ride! _Cent sous_ for the guide! A courier! Six horses to the berlin!" And by way of illustration my guide began cracking his whip in a way that almost deafened me. Not being content with this manner of describing the rank of the travellers, I asked him: "But who was in that carriage? Who paid the courier?" "I don't know, monsieur, the blinds of the berlin were pulled down. On the seat behind sat a man and a woman, both elderly folks who looked as though they might be confidential servants." "And the courier, had he nothing to say?" "The courier? Not he, a ferocious looking fellow with never a word to say! The only time I heard him speak was when he ordered the horses, and that didn't take long, _allez_, monsieur! He jumped from his horse, put two louis d'or in the hand of the _maître de poste_, and said: 'Six horses for the carriage and one riding-horse, _cent sous_ for the guide, forty sous paid in advance.' And then off he went at a gallop." "And he never gave his master's name?" "_Non_, monsieur." "What sort of livery did the courier wear?" "Stop a bit, monsieur, and I'll try to remember. Yes--a green jacket, with gold braid on all the seams, a cap just like the jacket, red silk sash, coat-of-arms on his buttons, a hunting-knife--moustaches--oh, the whole business--grand style--but too fierce to suit me, _parole d'honneur!_" "And since then have you never found out who you led to ----?" "_Non_, monsieur." "And the carriage, when did it come back?" "But, monsieur, it never did come back." "What!" said I, much surprised, "but there must be a good many country houses at ----?" "_Non_, monsieur, there is only one in the place; all the rest are only little huts for the peasants." "Then there is another road besides this one?" "Oh, _non_, monsieur; this is the only possible way of getting back." "And nobody ever came back this way?" "_Non_, monsieur." "It is most extraordinary! And how long ago did all this happen?" "Very nearly two years, monsieur." "Now tell me about your other journey," said I to my guide, hoping to get at some explanation of the mystery. "Oh, that is a journey never to forget! I'll remember that one for many a day! Ah, the old scoundrel! The old brigand! The sly old fox!" "_Voyons_, come, tell me about it, _mon garçon_; the thought of it seems to put you in an ill temper." "Ill temper! You better believe it does, and a good reason. It is not so much for the trick he played on me as for the mean way he did it,--and then to think of his having called me his good friend, the old monster! _Son bon ami!_ "You shall hear the whole story, monsieur.