The Mysteries of Paris, Volume 3 of 6

The notary shrugged his shoulders.

"The duke's seconds said, 'We bear testimony to the honourable character of M. Charles Robert, but M. de Lucenay cannot, ought not, and will not retract.' 'Then, gentlemen,' replied my seconds, 'M. de Lucenay is obstinately determined to assert that M. Charles Robert has a phlegmy cough?' 'Yes, gentlemen, but he does not therefore mean in the slightest way to impugn the high respectability of M. Charles Robert.' 'Then let him retract – ' 'No, gentlemen, M. de Lucenay acknowledges M. Robert as a most decidedly worthy gentleman, but still asserts that he has a phlegmy cough.' You see there was no means of arranging so serious an affair."

"To be sure not. You were insulted in the point which a man holds dearest."

"Wasn't I? Well, time and place were agreed on; and yesterday morning we met at Vincennes, and everything passed off in the most honourable manner possible. I touched M. de Lucenay slightly in the arm, and the seconds declared that honour was satisfied. Then the duke, with a loud voice, said, 'I never retract before a meeting, but, afterwards, it is a very different thing. It is, therefore, my duty, and my honour impels me to declare, that I falsely accused M. Charles Robert of having a phlegmy cough. Gentlemen, I not only declare that my honourable opponent had not a phlegmy cough, but I trust he never will have one.' Then the duke extended his hand in the most cordial manner, saying,'Are you now satisfied?' 'We are friends through life and death,' I replied; and it was really due to him to say so. The duke has behaved to perfection. Either he might have said nothing, or contented himself with declaring that I had not the phlegmy cough. But to express his wish that I might never have it, was a most delicate attention on his part."

"This is what I call courage well employed! But what do you want?"

"My dear cashkeeper" (this was another of M. Robert's habitual pleasantries), "it is a matter of great importance to me. You know that, according to our agreement, I have advanced to you three hundred and fifty thousand francs (14,000l.) to complete a particular payment you had; and it was stipulated that I was to give you three months' notice of my wish to withdraw that money, the interest of which you pay me regularly."

"Go on."

"Well," said M. Robert, hesitatingly, "I – no – that is – "

"What?"

"Why, it is only a whim of becoming a landed proprietor."

"Come to the point, pray! You annoy me."

"In a word, then, I am anxious to become a landed proprietor. And, if not inconvenient to you, I should like – that is I should wish – to have my funds now in your hands; and I came to say so."

"Ah, ah!"

"That does not offend you, I hope?"

"Why should I be offended?"

"Because you might think – "

"I might think – ?"

"That I am the echo of certain reports – "

"What reports?"

"Oh, nothing. Mere folly."

"But, tell me – "

"Oh, there can be no certainty in the gossip about you!"

"What gossip?"

"Oh, it is false from beginning to end. But there are chatterers who say that you are mixed up in some unpleasant transactions. Idle gossip, I am quite certain. It is just the same as the report that you and I speculated on the Exchange together. These reports soon died away. For I will always say that – "

"So you suppose that your money is not safe with me?"

"Oh, no – no! But, at this moment, I should like to have it in my own hands."

"Wait a moment." M. Ferrand shut the drawer of his bureau, and rose.

"Where are you going, my dear cashkeeper?"

"To fetch what will convince you of the truth of the reports as to the embarrassment of my affairs," said the notary, ironically; and, opening the door of a small private staircase, which enabled him to go into the pavilion at the back without passing through the office, he disappeared. He had scarce left the room, when the head clerk rapped again.

"Come in," said Charles Robert.

"Is not M. Ferrand here?"

"No, my worthy pounce and parchment" (another joke of M. Robert).

"There is a lady with a veil on, who wishes to see my employer this moment on a very urgent affair."

"Worthy quill-driver, the excellent employer will be here in a moment, and I will inform him. Is the lady handsome?"

"One must be very keen-sighted to discover; for she has on a black veil, so thick that it is impossible to see her face."

"Really, really, I will make her show her face as I go out. I'll tell the governor as soon as he returns."

The clerk left the room.

"Where the devil has the attorney at law vanished?" said M. Charles Robert. "To examine the state of his finances, no doubt. If these reports are groundless, so much the better. And, when all is said and done, they can but be false reports. Men of Jacques Ferrand's honesty always have so many people jealous of them! Still, at the same time, I should just as well like to have my own cash. I will certainly buy the château in question. There are towers and Gothic turrets quite à la Louis Quatorze, the real renaissance, and, in a word, all that is most rococo. It would give me a kind of landed proprietor's sort of air which would be capital. It would not be like my amour with that flirt of a Madame d'Harville. Has she really cut me? Can she really have given me the 'go-by?' No, no! I am not trifled with as that stupid porteress in the Rue du Temple, with her bob-wig, says. Yet this agreeable little flirtation has cost me at least one thousand crowns. True, the furniture is left, and I have quite enough in my power to compromise the marchioness. But here comes the lawyer!"

M. Ferrand returned, holding in his hands some papers, which he handed to M. Charles Robert.

"Here," said he, "are three hundred and fifty thousand francs in bank-bills. In a few days we will balance the account of interest. Give me a receipt."

"What!" exclaimed M. Robert, astonished; "do not go to think that – "

"I don't think anything."

"But – "

"The receipt!"

"Dear cashkeeper!"

"Write it; and tell the persons who talk to you of my embarrassments, how I reply to such suspicions."

"The fact is that, as soon as they hear this, your credit will be more solid than ever. But, really, take the money back again; I do not want it at this moment. I told you it was three months hence."

"Monsieur Charles Robert, no man suspects me twice."

"You are angry?"

"The receipt, – the receipt!"