{"id":"01KG8AN3TSWVCFA6WSDQXAT3DV","cid":"bafkreid7kzwynion5ahkhvmj527pmxtfyqtdk2kiqinosrnfyglivs7x4m","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":10868,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:52.921Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 11","source_file":"01KG89J1JSYKSGCE149MH9HF6A","start_line":10786,"text":"it, and said to the man, that he desired to be taken to the nearest\r\nrespectable hotel or boarding-house of any kind, that he knew of. The\r\nfellow--maliciously diverted by what had happened thus far--made some\r\nambiguous and rudely merry rejoinder. But warned by his previous rash\r\nquarrel with the stage-driver, Pierre passed this unnoticed, and in a\r\ncontrolled, calm, decided manner repeated his directions.\r\n\r\nThe issue was, that after a rather roundabout drive they drew up in a\r\nvery respectable side-street, before a large respectable-looking house,\r\nilluminated by two tall white lights flanking its portico. Pierre was\r\nglad to notice some little remaining stir within, spite of the\r\ncomparative lateness of the hour. A bare-headed, tidily-dressed, and\r\nvery intelligent-looking man, with a broom clothes-brush in his hand,\r\nappearing, scrutinized him rather sharply at first; but as Pierre\r\nadvanced further into the light, and his countenance became visible, the\r\nman, assuming a respectful but still slightly perplexed air, invited the\r\nwhole party into a closely adjoining parlor, whose disordered chairs and\r\ngeneral dustiness, evinced that after a day's activity it now awaited\r\nthe morning offices of the housemaids.\r\n\r\n\"Baggage, sir?\"\r\n\r\n\"I have left my baggage at another place,\" said Pierre, \"I shall send\r\nfor it to-morrow.\"\r\n\r\n\"Ah!\" exclaimed the very intelligent-looking man, rather dubiously,\r\n\"shall I discharge the hack, then?\"\r\n\r\n\"Stay,\" said Pierre, bethinking him, that it would be well not to let\r\nthe man know from whence they had last come, \"I will discharge it\r\nmyself, thank you.\"\r\n\r\nSo returning to the sidewalk, without debate, he paid the hackman an\r\nexorbitant fare, who, anxious to secure such illegal gains beyond all\r\nhope of recovery, quickly mounted his box and drove off at a gallop.\r\n\r\n\"Will you step into the office, sir, now?\" said the man, slightly\r\nflourishing with his brush--\"this way, sir, if you please.\"\r\n\r\nPierre followed him, into an almost deserted, dimly lit room with a\r\nstand in it. Going behind the stand, the man turned round to him a large\r\nledger-like book, thickly inscribed with names, like any directory, and\r\noffered him a pen ready dipped in ink.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding the general hint, though secretly irritated at something\r\nin the manner of the man, Pierre drew the book to him, and wrote in a\r\nfirm hand, at the bottom of the last-named column,--\r\n\r\n\"Mr. and Mrs. Pierre Glendinning, and Miss Ulver.\"\r\n\r\nThe man glanced at the writing inquiringly, and then said--\"The other\r\ncolumn, sir--where from.\"\r\n\r\n\"True,\" said Pierre, and wrote \"Saddle Meadows.\"\r\n\r\nThe very intelligent-looking man re-examined the page, and then slowly\r\nstroking his shaven chin, with a fork, made of his thumb for one tine,\r\nand his united four fingers for the other, said softly and\r\nwhisperingly--\"Anywheres in this country, sir?\"\r\n\r\n\"Yes, in the country,\" said Pierre, evasively, and bridling his ire.\r\n\"But now show me to two chambers, will you; the one for myself and wife,\r\nI desire to have opening into another, a third one, never mind how\r\nsmall; but I must have a dressing-room.\"\r\n\r\n\"Dressing-room,\" repeated the man, in an ironically deliberative\r\nvoice--\"Dressing-room;--Hem!--You will have your luggage taken into the\r\ndressing-room, then, I suppose.--Oh, I forgot--your luggage aint come\r\nyet--ah, yes, yes, yes--luggage is coming to-morrow--Oh, yes,\r\nyes,--certainly--to-morrow--of course. By the way, sir; I dislike to\r\nseem at all uncivil, and I am sure you will not deem me so; but--\"\r\n\r\n\"Well,\" said Pierre, mustering all his self-command for the coming\r\nimpertinence.\r\n\r\n\"When stranger gentlemen come to this house without luggage, we think\r\nourselves bound to ask them to pay their bills in advance, sir; that is\r\nall, sir.\"\r\n\r\n\"I shall stay here to-night and the whole of to-morrow, at any rate,\"\r\nrejoined Pierre, thankful that this was all; \"how much will it be?\" and\r\nhe drew out his purse.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 11"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJTDSWGP8QJ7MKTTPBN1C","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1JSYKSGCE149MH9HF6A","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AN33PG7XH3HTJ7ESNE20V","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AN3V9X7B0MS31E7HRY1EX","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:59.225Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:49:26.638Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}