As the
prosperous state of their finances admitted of their indulging in such
luxury, Herode had fixed upon this house as their place of abode in
Paris; because it would give a certain prestige to his troupe to be
lodged there, and show conclusively that they were not mere needy,
vagabond players, gaining a precarious livelihood in their wanderings
through the provinces, but a company of comedians of good standing,
whose talents brought them in a handsome revenue.
Upon their arrival at this imposing hostelry, they were first shown into
an immense kitchen, which presented an animated, busy scene--a whole
army of cooks bustling about the great roaring fire, and around the
various tables, where all sorts of culinary rites were in active
progress; while the mingling of savoury odours that pervaded the whole
place so tickled the olfactory organs of Blazius, Herode, and Scapin,
the gourmands of the troupe, that their mouths expanded into the
broadest of grins, as they edged as near as possible to the numerous
saucepans, etc., from which they issued. In a few moments a servant came
to conduct them to the rooms that had been prepared for them, and
just as they turned away from the blazing fire, round which they had
gathered, to follow him, a traveller entered and approached it, whose
face seemed strangely familiar to de Sigognac.
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