I told him that the one was your niece, and that I knew nothing of the other; but the abbe interfered, and said she was your cuisine.  The prince guessed he meant to say ‘cousin,’ and burst out laughing, in which he was joined by the young officer.  ‘Greet him from me,’ said he, as he went away, ’and tell him that we shall meet again, and that I will pay him out for the trick he has played me.’  The worthy host laughed, too, when the prince had gone, and gave us a good dinner, saying that the prince’s Louis would pay for it all.  When we had dined we hired two horses, and slept at Nice.  In the morning we rode on again, being certain of finding you here.”  Marcoline told the abbe in a cold voice to take care not to tell anyone else that she was his cuisine, or his cousin, or else it would go ill with him, as she did not wish to be thought either the one or the other.  I also advised him seriously not to speak French for the future, as the absurd way in which he had committed himself made everyone about him ashamed.”

Just as I was ordering post-horses to take us to Frejus, a man appeared, and told me I owed him ten louis for the storage of a carriage which I had left on his hands nearly three years ago.  This was when I was taking Rosalie to Italy.  I laughed, for the carriage itself was not worth five louis.  “Friend,” said I, “I make you a present of the article.”

“I don’t want your present.  I want the ten louis you owe me.”

“You won’t get the ten louis.  I will see you further first.”

“We will see about that”; and so saying he took his departure.

I sent for horses that we might continue our journey.

A few moments after, a sergeant summoned me to the governor’s presence.  I followed him, and was politely requested to pay the ten louis that my creditor demanded.  I answered that, in the agreement I had entered into for six francs a month, there was no mention of the length of the term, and that I did not want to withdraw my carriage.

“But supposing you were never to withdraw it?”

“Then the man could bequeath his claim to his heir.”

“I believe he could oblige you to withdraw it, or to allow it to be sold to defray expenses.”

“You are right, sir, and I wish to spare him that trouble.  I make him a present of the carriage.”

“That’s fair enough.  Friend, the carriage is yours.”

“But sir,” said the plaintiff, “it is not enough; the carriage is not worth ten louis, and I want the surplus.”

“You are in the wrong.  I wish you a pleasant journey, sir, and I hope you will forgive the ignorance of these poor people, who would like to shape the laws according to their needs.”

All this trouble had made me lose a good deal of time, and I determined to put off my departure till the next day.  However, I wanted a carriage for Possano and the abbe, and I got my secretary to buy the one I had abandoned for four louis.  It was in a deplorable state, and I had to have it repaired, which kept us till the afternoon of the next day; however, so far as pleasure was concerned, the time was not lost.