28 TEN "ZEAES LATEK. "Soon?" "To-day." "Oh! take care. Monsieur de Manicamp; you undertake much, and I do not ask that. Thirty leagues in a day is too much, you would kill yourself." "I think nothing impossible when obliging a friend." "You are quite heroic." "Where are the twenty pistoles?" "Here they are," said Malicorne, showing them. "That's well." "Yes, but my dear Monsieur Manicamp, you would con- sume them in nothing but post-horses." "No, no; make yourself easy on that head." Pardon me. Why, it is fifteen leagues from this place to Etampes." "Fourteen." "Well, fourteen be it; fourteen leagues make seven posts; at twenty sous the post, seven livres; seven livres the courier, fourteen; as many for coming back, twenty-eight; as much for bed and supper, that makes sixty of the livres which this complaisance would cost you." Manicamp stretched himself like a serpent in his bed, and fixing his two great eyes upon Malicorne, "You are right," said he; "I could not return before to-morrow;" and he took the twenty pistoles. "Now, then, be off!" "Well, as I cannot be back before to-morrow, we have time." "Time for what?" "Time for play." "What do you wish to play with?" "Your twenty pistoles, pardieu!" "No; you always win." "I will wager them, then." "Against what?" "Against twenty others." "And what will be the object of the wager?" "This: We have said it was fourteen leagues to go to Etampes?" "Yes." "And fourteen leagues back?" "Doubtless." "Well, for these twenty-eight leagues you cannot allow less than fourteen hours?" "That is agreed."
