The Wolf-Leader Chapter 15

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fifteen of The Wolf Leader by Alexander Dumas, translated
by Alfred Allenson eighteen fifty two to nineteen twenty nine.
This Librivot's recording is in the public domain recording by
John van Stand Savannah, Georgia, Chapter fifteen. The Lord of
Vauparfant Debaut, on arriving at the Dauphine door, ordered himself

(00:23):
as fine a dinner as he could think of. It
would have been quite easy for him to have engaged
a private room, but he would not then have enjoyed
the personal sense of superiority. He wished the company of
ordinary diners to see him eat his poulet and his
eel in its delicate sauce. He wished the other drinkers
to envy him his three different wines drunk out of
three different shaped glasses. He wished everybody to hear him

(00:46):
give his orders in a haughty voice, to hear the
ring of his money. As he gave his first order,
a man in a gray coat, seated in the darkest
corner of the room with a half bottle of wine
before him, turned round as if recognizing a voice he knew,
and as out this was one of Tibau's acquaintances. It
is scarcely necessary to add a tavern acquaintance. Tibau, since

(01:07):
he had given up making shoes by day and instead
had his wolves about at night, had made many such acquaintances.
On seeing that it was Tibau, the other man turned
his face away quickly, but not so quickly but that
Tibau had time to recognize Auguste Francois, a vasieur valet
to Raoul, the lord of vau parfont Holloa. Francois, Tibau

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called out, what are you doing sitting there in the
corner and sulking like a monk in lent, instead of
taking your dinner openly and cheerfully, as I am doing
in full view of everybody. Francois made no reply to
this interrogation, but signed to Debau to hold his tongue.
I am not to speak. Not to speak, said Tibau.
And supposing it does not suit me to hold my tongue,

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supposing I wish to talk, and that I am bored
at having to dine alone, and that it pleases me
to say, friend Francois, come here. I invite you to
dine with me. You will not know very well, then
I shall come and fetch you. And t Bau rose
from his seat, and, followed by all eyes, went up
to his friend and gave him a slap on the shoulder,
vigorous enough to dislocate it. Pretend that you have made

(02:13):
a mistake, t Bau, or you will lose me my place.
Do you not see that I am not in livery,
but am only wearing my drab graycoat. I am here
as proxy in a love affair from my master, and
I am waiting for a letter from a lady to
carry back to him. That's another matter altogether. And I
understand now, and am sorry for my indiscretion. I should like, however,

(02:36):
to have dined in your company. Well, nothing is easier.
Or do your dinner to be served in a separate room.
And I will give word to our host that if
another man dressed in gray like me comes in, he
is to show him upstairs. He and I are old
cronies and understand one another. Good, said Tibo, and he

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therewith ordered his dinner to be taken up to a
room on the first floor, which looked out upon the street.
Francois seated himself so as to be able to see
the person he was expecting while some distance off. As
he came down the hill of fert Millon. The dinner
which Tibau had ordered was quite sufficient for the two.
All that he did was to send for another bottle
of wine. Or so. Tibau had only taken two lessons

(03:20):
from Maitro Maguoire, but he had been an apt pupil,
and they had done their work. Moreover, Tibau had something
which he wished to forget, and he counted on the
wine to accomplish this. For him, it was good fortune,
he felt to have met a friend with whom he
could talk, for in the state of mind and heart
in which he was talking was as good a help
towards oblivion as drinking. Accordingly, he was no sooner seated

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and the door shut, and his hat stuck well down
on to his head, so that Francois might not notice
the change in the color of his hair, than he
burst at once into conversation, boldly, taking the bull by
the horns. And now, friend, Francois, he said, you are
going to explain to me some of your words which
I did not quite unders stand. I am not surprised
at that replied Francois, leaning back in his chair with

(04:05):
an air of conceited impertinence. We attendance on fashionable lords
learn to speak court language, which everyone, of course does
not understand. Perhaps not, but if you explain it to
your friends, they may possibly understand quite So Ask what
you like, and I will answer. I look to your doing.

(04:25):
So the more that I will undertake to supply you
with what will help to loosen your tongue. First, let
me ask why do you call yourself a graycoat? I
thought graycoat another name for a jackass jack as yourself, friend, Tibaux,
said Francois, laughing at the shoemaker's ignorance. No, a graycoat
is a liveried servant who puts on a gray overall

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to hide his livery while he stands sentinel behind a
pillar or mounts guard inside a doorway. So you mean
that at this moment, then, my good Francois, you are
on sentry. Go and who is coming to relieve you? Champagne,
who is in the Comptesse de mont Gobert's service. I see,

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I understand exactly, your master, The Lord of valparfont is
in love with the Comptesse de mont Gobert, and you
are now awaiting a letter which Champagne is to bring
from the lady Apti Mae, as the tutor to Monsieur
Raoul's young brother, says, my Lord Raoul is a lucky fellow. Yes, indeed,
said Francois, drawing himself up. And what a beautiful creature

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the countess is. You know her? Then I have seen
her out hunting with his Highness the Duke of Ooulienne
and Madame de Montessen. Tibaux, in speaking had said, out hunting,
my friend. Let me tell you that in society we
do not say hunting and shooting, but huntin and shootin'. No,

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said Tibau, I am not so particular to a letter
as all that to the health of my Lord Raoul.
As Francois put down his glass on the table, he
uttered an exclamation. He at that moment caught sight of Champagne.
They threw open the window and called to this third comer,
and Champagne, with all the ready intuition of the well

(06:15):
bred servant, understood at once and went upstairs. He was dressed,
like Francois, in a long gray coat, and had brought
a letter with him. Well, asked Francois, as he caught
sight of the letter in his hand. And is there
to be a meeting tonight? Yes, answered Champagne with evident delight.
That's all right, said Francois, cheerfully. Tibaut was surprised at

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these expressions of apparent sympathy on the part of the
servants with their master's happiness. Is it your master's good
luck that you are so pleased about, he asked of Francois. Oh,
dear me, No, replied the latter. But when my master
is engaged, I am at liberty, And do you make
use of your liberty? One may be a valet and

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yet have one his own share of good luck, and
also know how to spend the time more or less profitably,
answered Francois, bridling as he spoke. And you, Champagne, oh,
I replied the last comer, holding his wine up to
the light. Yes, I too hope to make good use
of it. Well, then here's to all your love affairs,

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since everybody seems to have one or more on hand,
said Tibau. The same to yours, replied the two other
men in chorus. As to myself, said the shoemaker, a
look of hatred to his fellow creatures, passing over his face.
I am the only person who loves nobody and whom
nobody loves. His companion looked at him with a certain

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surprised curiosity. Ah ha, said Francois. The report that has
whispered abroad about you in the countryside a true tail,
Then report it to me, yes, about you? Put in Champagne. Oh,
then they say the same thing about me at Mont
Gobert as they do at Valpafon. Champagne nodded his head. Well,

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and what is it they do? Say that you are
a were wolf, said Francois. Tibaux laughed aloud. Ha ha ha,
ha ha. Tell me now, have I a tail? He said?
Have I a wolf's claws? Have I a wolf's snout?
We only repeat what other people say, rejoined Champagne. We
do not say that it is so well. Anyhow, you

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must acknowledge, said Tibaut, that werewolves have excellent wine. By
my faith, yes, exclaimed both the valets, to the health
of the devil who provides it. Gentlemen, are the two
men who were holding their glasses in their hand put
both glasses down on the table. What is that for,
asked t Beau. You must find someone else to drink

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that health with you, said Francois. I won't, that's flat
nor i added Champagne. Well and good, then I will
drink all three glasses myself, and he immediately proceeded to
do so. Friend Tibau, said the baron's valet. It is
time we separated, so soon, said Tibau. My master is

(09:08):
awaiting me, and, no doubt, with some impatience, the letter
from Champagne here it is. Let us take farewell then
of your friend Tibau, and be off to our business
and our pleasures, and leave him to his pleasures and business.
And so saying Francois, winked at his friend, who responded
with a similar sign of understanding between them. We must

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not separate, said Tibau, without drinking a stirrup cup together.
But not in those glasses, said Francois, pointing to the
three from which Tibau had drunk. To the enemy of mankind,
you are very particular, gentlemen. Better call the sacristan and
have them washed in holy water. Not quite that, But
rather than refuse the polite invitation of a friend, we

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will call for the water and have fresh glasses brought.
These three, then, said Tibau, who was beginning to feel
the effects of the wine he had drunk, are fit
for nothing more than to be thrown out of the window.
To the devil with you, he exclaimed, as he took
up one of them and sent it flying. As the
glass went through the air, it left a track of
light behind it, which blazed. It went out like a

(10:13):
flash of lightning. Tebau took up the two remaining glasses
and threw them in turn, and each time the same
thing happened, but the third flash was followed by a
loud peal of thunder. Tibau shut the window and was thinking,
as he turned to his seat again how he should
explain the strange occurrence to his companions. But his two

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companions had disappeared. Cowards, he muttered. They looked for a
glass but found none left. Humph, that's awkward, he said,
I must drink out of the bottle, that's all, and
suiting the action to the word, Tibou finished up his
dinner by draining the bottle, which did not help to
steady his brain, already somewhat shaky. At nine o'clock Thibau,

(10:56):
called the innkeeper, paid his account and departed. He was
in an angry disposition of enmity against all the world.
The thoughts from which he had hoped to escape possessed
him more and more. Agnoletta was being taken farther and
farther from him. As the time went by. Every one
wife or mistress had some one to love them. This day,

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which had been one of hatred and despair to him,
had been one fool of the promise of joy and
happiness for everybody else. The lord of valparfond, the two
wretched Valets, Francois and Champagne. Each of them had a
bright star of hope to follow while he he alone,
went stumbling along in the darkness. Decidedly there was a

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curse upon him, but he went on, thinking to himself,
if so, the pleasures of the damned belonged to me,
and I have a right to claim them. As these
thoughts went surging through his brain as he walked along,
cursing aloud, shaking his fist at the sky. He was
on the way to his hut and had nearly reached
it when he heard a horse coming up behind him.

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At a gallop, ah said Tibau, here comes the lord
of Valuparfund, hastening to the meeting with his love. I
should laugh, my fine sir Raoul. If my lord of
mont Goubert managed just to catch you, you would not
get off quite so easily as if it were Matro Magaloire.
There would be swords out and blows given and received.

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Thus engaged in thinking what would happen if the Comte
de mont Golbert were to surprise his rival, Tibau, who
was walking in the road, evidently did not get out
of the way quickly enough for the horseman, seeing a
peasant of some kind barring his passage, brought his whip
down upon him in a violent blow, calling out the
same time, get out of the way, you beggar, if
you don't wish to be trampled under the horse's feet. Thibau,

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still half drunk, was conscious of a crowd of mingled
sensations of the lashing of the whip, the collision with
the horse, and the rolling through cold water and mud.
While the horseman passed on. He rose to his knees,
furious with anger, and shaking his fist at the retreating figure.
Would the devil. He exclaimed, I might just for once
have my turn at being one of you great lords,

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might just, for twenty four hours take your place, Monsieur
Raoul de de Valparfand instead of being only Tibau the shoemaker,
so that I might know what it was to have
a fine horse to ride on, instead of tramping on foot,
might be able to whip the peasants I met on
the road, and have the opportunity of paying court to
these beautiful women who deceive their husbands, as the compe

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Tesse and de mont Gobert does. The words were hardly
out of his mouth when the baron's horse shied, throwing
the rider over its head. End of chapter fifteen. Recording
by John Vanstand Savannah, Georgia