Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

59 OF A FREXCH GENTLEMAN. with a rattle, and the gastronomer gave a terrible cry, as 1f he were bitten by a serpent. “ Diable!” exclaimed Belle-Rose : ‘‘ what’s the matter now ? ” ““ Mv hand! my hand!” yelled Champignon. ‘*As lama living being he has caught his arm in a rat-trap,” sald De Rosann, hastening to disengage the ex-restaurateur’s mem- ber from so ignoble a jeopardy. | ‘¢ Thank God!” ejaculated Champignon, when he had regained the free exercise of his hand ; ‘‘ these digits were meant to pluck partridges and pigeons, and not to be caught in rat-traps. A man may as soon think of finding a poulet truffé on a ploughman’s table, as a wash-hand-stand in a cachot.” ‘¢ When you leave the galleys, Champignon, you must give lec- tures on gastronomy,” said Belle-Rose. ‘You are laughing at me, my friend; but I would wager a mess of pieds de mouton against a plate of soupe maigre that you do not know how many different dishes there are in the French kitchen— that is, in how many different ways you may dress veal, beef, mutton, pork, game, poultry, fish, and eggs.” - ‘¢ Fifty, I suppose,” returned Pierre, carelessly. ‘‘Three hundred and sixty-five!” cried Champignon, in a tone of triumph. ‘¢And your cotelettes 4 la quadrille form the three hundred and sixty-sixth,” added Belle-Rose. The arrival of the gaoler to unlock the dungeon-door put an end to this colloquy, much to the regret of Champignon, who was about to commence a long harangue on the excellence of his new discovery, and the importance of it to the culinary world. Through the aid of some money which Belle-Rose produced from the purse he had obtained at Versailles, a comfortable breakfast was pro- cured for the three prisoners by the avaricious gaoler, whose coun- tenance wore a smile or a frown according to the means of those in hiscustody. De Rosann ate but little: Leblond’s timely assistance and mysterious aid had effected so deep an impression on his mind, and had awakened such a variety of conflicting ideas in his bosom, that resignation and patience had totally given way to wild and burning hope. This was not the case with Belle-Rose: much as he was rejoiced at the felicitous interference of Leblond, and aware as he was of the importance of the service rendered by him, without which no escape could ever have been rendered effectual,—he still regarded all things with his usual imperturbahle coolness and serenity of disposition ; while Champignon fell tooth and nail upon the provisions supplied by the gaoler, muttering between his teeth an almost inaudible regret that the fricandeau de veauw had not been served up with oseille.* When this meal was concluded, the convicts were summoned, one and all, to the court-yard, where pump-water was at the disposal of those who were anxious to perform their ablutions ere their de- parture—an opportunity of cleanliness that none rejected. Belle- Rose looked around to catch a glimpse of Auguste Leblond, but * Sorrel. EGomicsooksnGeo od