Alfred de Rosann — page 168: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 159 up his heels and threw the luckless rider over his head. Our hero instantly recognised Champignon, and cried out to the postilions to stop fora moment. ‘The gas- tronomer slowly raised himself from the ground, and cast a timid glance at the person seated in the carriage; but the instant he noticed De Rosann, he rushed for- ward, and gave him such a hearty shake of the hand, that Alfred was obliged to beseech him to relax his iron grasp. | | “Can I really believe my own eyes?—is it indeed you, M. De Rosann ? or are you dead, and does your ghost wander about these parts, like a spectre in a church-yard?”? cried Champignon, overjoyed at thus encountering his late benefactor. “?'Tis really I myself,’ answered Alfred, with a smile. ** But wherefore do you ride on an animal whose stubbornness you cannot overcome?”’ “The fact is,’ said Champignon, “ that I aman ex- - . cellent horseman, but I cannot maintain my seat on a jack-ass.”’ “TY am afraid you will never be a Franconi,* Cham- pignon.”’ “¢ Call me Citron, if you please,’ tronomer. ; “ Ah! I recollect your prospectus,”’ said our hero. ‘Mr. Clayton forwarded the parcel to me in London, and I did not fail to make known your schemes to my friends. ”’ ‘‘Y thank you all the same; but I have renounced the idea of establishing my joint-stock company,” ob- served Champignon, mournfully. « And wherefore, might I inquire?”’ ‘¢ Because the individuals at a certain place in a cer- tain town could not pay their subscriptions; and my cousin dissuaded me from the enterprise.’’ “ He did perfectly right. But tell me—have you not seen Belle-Rose at St.. Malo?’? demanded Alfred. The gastronomer instantly related all that passed ’ whispered the gas- * The French Ducrow. COPMICLOOOKS (E@)