[A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac]@TWC D-Link bookA Start in Life CHAPTER IV 16/38
Come, Pierrotin, take a glass! It is a great pity your horses can't take one, too; we might go faster." "Forward, march!" cried Pierrotin, amid a mighty cracking of whips, after the travellers were again boxed up. It was now eleven o'clock.
The weather, which had been cloudy, cleared; the breeze swept off the mists, and the blue of the sky appeared in spots; so that when the coucou trundled along the narrow strip of road from Saint-Denis to Pierrefitte, the sun had fairly drunk up the last floating vapors of the diaphanous veil which swathed the scenery of that famous region. "Well, now, tell us why you left your friend the pacha," said Pere Leger, addressing Georges. "He was a very singular scamp," replied Georges, with an air that hid a multitude of mysteries.
"He put me in command of his cavalry,--so far, so good--" "Ah! that's why he wears spurs," thought poor Oscar. "At that time Ali Tebelen wanted to rid himself of Chosrew pacha, another queer chap! You call him, here, Chaureff; but the name is pronounced, in Turkish, Cosserew.
You must have read in the newspapers how old Ali drubbed Chosrew, and soundly, too, faith! Well, if it hadn't been for me, Ali Tebelen himself would have bit the dust two days earlier.
I was at the right wing, and I saw Chosrew, an old sly-boots, thinking to force our centre,--ranks closed, stiff, swift, fine movement a la Murat.
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