My Library

sped as hastily as I could to the Guinguette, or Tea-Garden, where, it will be remembered, Ravalette and myself had entered to converse with the proprietor regarding his novel and costly experiment in the way of feasting poor people a la les richeuse. “Entering this place, I put the same question to the proprietor that I had to the gardener and the man of Michel le Compte; but instead of surprise at his answer, I was absolutely dumb-founded, for the man insisted that I entered the shop quite alone, but that I had conversed with him in two separate and perfectly distinct voices, au ventriloque—which he had regarded as very singular, but concluded that I was a student of ventriloquism, and took every opportunity to test my proficiency, and had now come back to ascertain what success attended the experiment. “I was too much horrified to speak; but, simply nodding my adieux, took my departure in a mood much easier to be imagined than described. “Not yet content, I made inquiries as to whether any one had seen two horsemen of a peculiar description pass through any of the streets of Belleville. “Nobody had seen any such, or indeed any horsemen whatever. I was thunderstruck. “ ‘I’ll track them!’ I cried, as a last resource; ‘for