After Dark eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 503 pages of information about After Dark.

After Dark eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 503 pages of information about After Dark.

“Probably,” I answered, “there is some remarkable historical association connected with that street at the back of the Palais Royal, of which I am ignorant.”

“No,” said Mr. Faulkner; “at least none that I know of.  The only association connected with the place in my mind is a purely personal association.  Look at this house in your drawing—­the house with the water-pipe running down it from top to bottom.  I once passed a night there—­a night I shall never forget to the day of my death.  I have had some awkward traveling adventures in my time; but that adventure—!  Well, never mind, suppose we begin the sitting.  I make but a bad return for your kindness in giving me the sketch by thus wasting your time in mere talk.”

“Come! come!” thought I, as he went back to the sitter’s chair, “I shall see your natural expression on your face if I can only get you to talk about that adventure.”  It was easy enough to lead him in the right direction.  At the first hint from me, he returned to the subject of the house in the back street.  Without, I hope, showing any undue curiosity, I contrived to let him see that I felt a deep interest in everything he now said.  After two or three preliminary hesitations, he at last, to my great joy, fairly started on the narrative of his adventure.  In the interest of his subject he soon completely forgot that he was sitting for his portrait—­the very expression that I wanted came over his face—­and my drawing proceeded toward completion, in the right direction, and to the best purpose.  At every fresh touch I felt more and more certain that I was now getting the better of my grand difficulty; and I enjoyed the additional gratification of having my work lightened by the recital of a true story, which possessed, in my estimation, all the excitement of the most exciting romance.

This, as I recollect it, is how Mr. Faulkner told me his adventure: 

THE TRAVELER’S STORY

OF

A terribly strange bed.

Shortly after my education at college was finished, I happened to be staying at Paris with an English friend.  We were both young men then, and lived, I am afraid, rather a wild life, in the delightful city of our sojourn.  One night we were idling about the neighborhood of the Palais Royal, doubtful to what amusement we should next betake ourselves.  My friend proposed a visit to Frascati’s; but his suggestion was not to my taste.  I knew Frascati’s, as the French saying is, by heart; had lost and won plenty of five-franc pieces there, merely for amusement’s sake, until it was amusement no longer, and was thoroughly tired, in fact, of all the ghastly respectabilities of such a social anomaly as a respectable gambling-house.  “For Heaven’s sake,” said I to my friend, “let us go somewhere where we can see a little genuine, blackguard, poverty-stricken gaming

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Project Gutenberg
After Dark from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.