LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1601, 7 April 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

RED, YELLOW, AND GREEN.

[By an Old Bohemian.]

'Do with the article ? Why, sell it, my dear young friend, sell it, of coarse. What else would you have me do with it ? Three thousand b<ttles would surely be a few too many far my own private drinking even though you were to tender me Your friendly assistance,' W. Peyrade replied somewhat ironically, with a benign smile ' f course, I know that,' cried I, slightly nettled. ' What I want to know is the name to be given to the child. la it to be Beaune ? or Moulin-avent ? or,' I continued, with a half-sneer, 'perchance it is to be Pomard ? I know what great things you are capable of achieving in growing famous vintages in your cellars.' 4 "Ne sutor ultra crepidam" is a wise maxim, my sharp young friend,' he replied, quite unruffled, with conscious superiority. •Do not travel beyond your ken What know you of Burgundy vintages ? Romance is the ticket, my bt>y ; Romance Oonti, and premiere tete to bo 't!' Romsnee ! It fairly took my breath away. Why, did I not know the parentage and pedigree of that wine as well as the old beggar knew Monkbarn's famous Roman encampment? The grape was grown between Beauue and Nuifcs. I had soen it on the vine. It had been partly upon my advice that an additional fortnight's coction had been given to the fruit. I had person a ly assisted in cutting and gathering, and in solicitously watching and tending it, from the vineyard to the press, and from the press to the cave. And here this Mastilian Greek brazenly telling me that it was Romanee i 'onti! No wonder the cool announcement should strike me dumb with amazement.

' vVell ; I must say your assurance beats anything I have heard of in modern or ancient history,' I cried at last, when I recovered my breath. So nothing but Komanee Conti will do for you. Exnisez du pen ! But, seriously now, whom are you going to sell with it ? Who do you think will buy it for Romance Conti ?' ' I told you just now that you have come back in the very nick of time to see the crowning of the edifice. The first sale is on for to-day,' Peyrade replied quietly. ' Charles has been dropping hints about the purchase of a magnificent lot of high-class Burgundy, and he knows that Messrs Martio, Oucouday, and Dnfour are coming here to-day to spy how the land lies. Of course ! am supposed to know nothing of this intended call. Indeed I am believed to be out.' Here his "ves danced with merriment. ' Yon just wait here ' —it was in the private salon of the establishment, where only distinguished customers were received, that this conversation took place—' and you will see them, and you will be in the best position to watch proceedings. I know I can trust you. You are as close as wax. If success crowns my efforts I will give you a free trip down to Marseilles, and you shall have five dozen green seal for your own consumption. So we will look upon that as settled. I must now be off now ; a tantot. I learned afterwards that M. Peyrade had two samples, of one hectolitre each, taken from tbegbu k of the mad; article, and run them into separate ca-ks. To the first ca-k lie added a certain quantity of one of his wond-rful aromatising ense'ices, to the second double, and to the bulk live times the quantity (in proportion, j He had allowed it four months to work through ; then he had bottled the lot. He was a deft hand at dirt encrusting and cobwebbing bottles, a r '.d giving new corks the appearance of a ripe old age. The first portion had been sealed with red wax, the second with yellow and the bulk with green wax. I had not been long left alone when the three gentlem n were ushered in obsequiously by Charles. M. Martin was Mayor of Lyons at the time, and M. Ducoudray temporary prefect of the Rhone department. M. i'utour was one of the leading silk manufacturers of Lyons, and father in law of M. Aries the famous national econo mist.

I rose and bowed to the three gentlemen ; the;i resumed my coat, and went on reading rny " Censeur de Lyon." Charles, I must tell you, way a model waiter. He was courteous and obliging to all customers, high and humble alike, and gratuities were not the (irst and only consideration with him. He served you with such truly gentlemanly cane that you felt m re than half inclined to doubt whether he was not a nobleman in disguise, doing the waiter for a wager. There was once a waiter at the - avace lub, whom my friend Barnes u-ed to call the Baron, and oftm you were really reluctant t > order a go of hot or cold, he looked such * natural swell; but he was nothing to Charles, In fact, I have known iu the course of my lo—that ia to eay, brief

—career x great, many harleses, an- 1 fort 1 e matt r <>f that, Charlies too, ard I sha' ever gratefully lvmembe- Cha'les or Charley of ihn Albion, in the halo on ays of that then truly nob]** wfcahlishment. But I never met the equal of eyradc's Ohariev. was sincerely attached to hiu employer, and always to p'aoe all his undoubted abilities unreserv dly at his service. With regard to st'iot adherence to t*-uth. 1 must confess alas, that Charles was not much given to * homing the devil. 'So Peyrad' is out?' inquired M. Martin, 'I believe he is gone to re plied the vericiona Charles. ' I do not think he w ; ll be back be f ore ' vening.' ' Then, while the coaet is clear, Charles, aaid the mayor, 'bring us a bottle of the wine yon w<re talking of the other day. We should like to have a taste of it.'

' Well, gontlemen 1 said Charles hesitatingly, * i am a*ra''d M. Peyra 'e will not like it when he comes to know it; but I will venture to risk it, to oHli?e vou.'"

A few minutes after, a dirty black bottle, with a dirty red Seal, was placed before the three gentlemen. It was opened by Charlep, and three glasses were solemnly poured out. A faint perfnme pervaded the room. The gentlemen tasted, thev Bracked their lips. ' Delicious,' muttered M. Martin* ' What do you call it, Charles ?' asked M. Ducoudray. ' That I cannot tell,' said Charles ; *M. Veyrade has kept so close about it.' 'I think,' said M. Dufour slowlv and reflectively. 'I think it tastes like Romanee.' 'So it does, so it does !' cried prefect and mayor iifiisanti. ' Have you ever tasted it, Charles,' asked M. Martin. 'No,'Charles replied, 'this is the first bottle I have tak»n out of the bin.' 'Bring a glass, then, Charles, and taste it, and le r us know what yon think of the vintage You are a judge. I know,' said M Dufour. Charles tasted. with a polemn face. 'Gentlemen,' he said admiringly, ' you are finished gourmets. It is Romanee,

Well, I mnst confess I felt rather small in my own estimation. Here were three tlemen, whom I knew to be pretty good judges of giving the very name to the article which had excited my derision. Bui; this was, after ail, only another proof of M. Peyrarle's unapproachable superiority in wine growing. They finished the bottle, and ordered another. Rre they had drunk one-half of this, Peyrado suddenly made his appearance. He had come back quite unexpectedly ; most likely he had found the heights of Fourvieres too toilsome to climb that day. fife cordially saluted 'is customers ; then throwing, as it an accidental glance upon the bottl" on the table, his brow suddenly olonded, and he looked greatly annoyed and vexed. He was a capital actor, as has alfady bsen intimated He summoned Charles. 'Do you, or do you not, know these gentlemen, Charles ?' he asked the man ancrily. Then without waiting an answer, lie 6outinned, with truly pathetic reproachfulness, ' Char'es, Charles! to place red seal before my much-honored guests ! What could you be thinking of? If you had made up your mind to disobey my injunction not to let these wines be touched, you should at least have had the sense to place a superior quality before these gentlemen. Blockhead, go and get a bottle of yellow seal and fresh glasses, and put the olives on the table.' [To be Continued.)