Chapter 4

Chapter IV:
Malicorne and Manicamp.

The introduction of these two new personages into this history and that
mysterious affinity of names and sentiments, merit some attention on the
part of both historian and reader. We will then enter into some details
concerning Messieurs Malicorne and Manicamp. Malicorne, we know, had
made the journey to Orleans in search of the _brevet_ destined for
Mademoiselle de Montalais, the arrival of which had produced such a
strong feeling at the castle of Blois. At that moment, M. de Manicamp
was at Orleans. A singular person was this M. de Manicamp; a very
intelligent young fellow, always poor, always needy, although he dipped
his hand freely into the purse of M. le Comte de Guiche, one of the best
furnished purses of the period. M. le Comte de Guiche had had, as the
companion of his boyhood, this De Manicamp, a poor gentleman, vassal-
born, of the house of Gramont. M. de Manicamp, with his tact and talent
had created himself a revenue in the opulent family of the celebrated
marechal. From his infancy he had, with calculation beyond his age, lent
his mane and complaisance to the follies of the Comte de Guiche. If his
noble companion had stolen some fruit destined for Madame la Marechale,
if he had broken a mirror, or put out a dog's eye, Manicamp declared
himself guilty of the crime committed, and received the punishment, which
was not made the milder for falling on the innocent. But this was the
way this system of abnegation was paid for: instead of wearing such mean
habiliments as his paternal fortunes entitled him to, he was able to
appear brilliant, superb, like a young noble of fifty thousand livres a
year. It was not that he was mean in character or humble in spirit; no,
he was a philosopher, or rather he had the indifference, the apathy, the
obstinacy which banish from man every sentiment of the supernatural. His
sole ambition was to spend money. But, in this respect, the worthy M. de
Manicamp was a gulf. Three or four times every year he drained the Comte
de Guiche, and when the Comte de Guiche was thoroughly drained, when he
had turned out his pockets and his purse before him, when he declared
that it would be at least a fortnight before paternal munificence would
refill those pockets and that purse, Manicamp lost all his energy, he
went to bed, remained there, ate nothing and sold his handsome clothes,
under the pretense that, remaining in bed, he did not want them. During
this prostration of mind and strength, the purse of the Comte de Guiche
was getting full again, and when once filled, overflowed into that of De
Manicamp, who bought new clothes, dressed himself again, and recommenced
the same life he had followed before. The mania of selling his new
clothes for a