Chapter 5

Chapter V:
Manicamp and Malicorne.

Malicorne, then, left Blois, as we have said, and went to find his
friend, Manicamp, then in temporary retreat in the city of Orleans. It
was just at the moment when that young nobleman was employed in selling
the last decent clothing he had left. He had, a fortnight before,
extorted from the Comte de Guiche a hundred pistoles, all he had, to
assist in equipping him properly to go and meet Madame, on her arrival at
Le Havre. He had drawn from Malicorne, three days before, fifty
pistoles, the price of the _brevet_ obtained for Montalais. He had then
no expectation of anything else, having exhausted all his resources, with
the exception of selling a handsome suit of cloth and satin, embroidered
and laced with gold, which had been the admiration of the court. But to
be able to sell this suit, the last he had left, - as we have been forced
to confess to the reader - Manicamp had been obliged to take to his bed.
No more fire, no more pocket-money, no more walking-money, nothing but
sleep to take the place of repasts, companies and balls. It has been
said - "He who sleeps, dines;" but it has never been affirmed - He who
sleeps, plays – or, He who sleeps, dances. Manicamp, reduced to this
extremity of neither playing nor dancing, for a week at least, was,
consequently, very sad; he was expecting a usurer, and saw Malicorne
enter. A cry of distress escaped him.

"Eh! what!" said he, in a tone which nothing can describe, "is that you
again, dear friend?"

"Humph! you are very polite!" said Malicorne.

"Ay, but look you, I was expecting money, and, instead of money, I see
_you_."

"And suppose I brought you some money?"

"Oh! that would be quite another thing. You are very welcome, my dear
friend!"

And he held out his hand, not for the hand of Malicorne, but for the
purse. Malicorne pretended to be mistaken, and gave him his hand.

"And the money?" said Manicamp.

"My dear friend, if you wish to have it, earn it."

"What must be done for it?"

"Earn it, _parbleu!_"

"And after what fashion?"

"Oh! that is rather trying, I warn you."

"The devil!"

"You must get out of bed, and go immediately to M. le Comte de Guiche."

"I get up!" said Manicamp, stretching himself in his bed, complacently,
"oh, no, thank you!"

"You have sold all your clothes?"

"No, I have one suit left, the handsomest even, but I expect a purchaser."

"And the _chausses?_"

"Well, if you look, you will see them on that chair."

"Very well! since you have some _chausses_ and a _pourpoint_ left, put
your legs into the first and your back into the other; have a horse
saddled, and