The Argosy — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

226 Far Normandy. all bows and politeness, and really good and amiable and affable ; out rushed a waiter to help in the reception, and to add dignity to the hostelry. We had not dined, and in reply to our demand for substantial if modest fare, our host looked grave and contemplative. ‘The salle-a- manger was closed ; the chef had gone to his café and his game at écarté. If he did not have his paréz at night, the next day every- thing went wrong in the kitchen. ‘This the landlord explained parenthetically. We replied that we should easily be satisfied under the circum- stances; but he must remember that “‘ventre affamé n’a point d’oreilles,” and would not and could not be altogether denied. Beyond the archway we saw the outlines of a large courtyard, where sundry vehicles reposed. From the café within the yard a stream of light fell upon the pavement, making more visible the surrounding darkness. We were now conducted up a winding staircase, rough, rude, and guiltless of carpet, to the first floor. The corridors were long and barnlike; our footsteps echoed in a ghostly manner, though we trod softly after our usual habit. Loud footsteps are only less irritating than loud voices. We were ushered into a great barn of a room, which made it quite a walk to go from one end to the other. The windows looked on to the courtyard, and just below us on the pavement was the light thrown from the café. All surrounding was dark and impenetrable. — We could faintly outline the opposite windows, the sheds below, the omnibus which had had the honour of conducting us, and from which the horses were now being unharnessed. ‘The waiter lighted two tapers which faintly illuminated the huge room, and cast ghostly shadows about it. Everything connected with the place seemed ghostly to-night ; but we should have been glad to have seen even the shade of the chef gliding into the kitchen and commencing opera- tions on our behalf. There was only too much fear that our dinner would also be ghostly: a true Barmecide feast: for the salle-a- manger windows were in front of us, and the darkness behind them was as profound there as elsewhere. The room looked bare and cold after our more luxurious quarters at Rouen, but it was not really uncomfortable. The landlord himself was certainly the best part of his hotel, for he was very civil and obliging. ‘The waiters were also willing enough, but they were some- what rough and uncivilised, and went about their work with staring eyes and heads of hair that looked for all the world as if they, too, had seen ghosts and had not recovered from the shock. We went down, even as we had come up, the ghostly corridor and winding staircase, and boldly made for the kitchen. It was deserted, but a good fire roared in the jpoéle, of which the cover was off, so that here at least there was nothing ghostly except the shadows that Gomicoooks-co | | | a | ee | |