The Paris Sketch Book of Mr. M. A. TitmarshThackeray, William Makepeace
General
The Paris Sketch Book of Mr. M. A. Titmarsh
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Paris (France) -- Description and travel
“He said that he had left Macon on the 31st October, at eleven o’clock
in the morning, in order to return to Belley, with his wife and
servant. The latter drove, or led, an open car; he himself was driving
his wife in a four-wheeled carriage, drawn by one horse: they reached
Bourg at five o’clock in the evening; left it at seven, to sleep at
Pont d’Ain, where they did not arrive before midnight. During the
journey, Peytel thought he remarked that Rey had slackened his horse’s
pace. When they alighted at the inn, Peytel bade him deposit in his
chamber 7,500 francs, which he carried with him; but the domestic
refused to do so, saying that the inn gates were secure, and there was
no danger. Peytel was, therefore, obliged to carry his money up stairs
himself. The next day, the 1st November, they set out on their journey
again, at nine o’clock in the morning; Louis did not come, according to
custom, to take his master’s orders. They arrived at Tenay about three,
stopped there a couple of hours to dine, and it was eight o’clock when
they reached the bourg of Rossillon, where they waited half an hour to
bait the horses.
“As they left Rossillon, the weather became bad, and the rain began to
fall: Peytel told his domestic to get a covering for the articles in
the open chariot; but Rey refused to do so, adding, in an ironical
tone, that the weather was fine. For some days past, Peytel had
remarked that his servant was gloomy, and scarcely spoke at all.
“After they had gone about 500 paces beyond the bridge of Andert, that
crosses the river Furans, and ascended to the least steep part of the
hill of Darde, Peytel cried out to his servant, who was seated in the
car, to come down from it, and finish the ascent on foot.
“At this moment a violent wind was blowing from the south, and the rain
was falling heavily: Peytel was seated back in the right corner of the
carriage, and his wife, who was close to him, was asleep, with her head
on his left shoulder. All of a sudden he heard the report of a fire-arm
(he had seen the light of it at some paces’ distance), and Madame
Peytel cried out, ‘My poor husband, take your pistols;’ the horse was
frightened, and began to trot. Peytel immediately drew the pistol, and
fired, from the interior of the carriage, upon an individual whom he
saw running by the side of the road.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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