"And I can say that never was a man more worthy of affection. I know him. To the most legitimate pride and the most scrupulous integrity, he unites a keen and supple mind, and wit enough to get the better of the toughest rascal. He has no fortune for the reason that-hum!-he gave up all he had to certain pretended creditors of his father. But whenever he wishes to be rich, he shall be; and -broum!-he may be so before long. I know his projects, his hopes, his resources."

But, as if feeling that he was treading on dangerous ground, the Count de Villegre stopped short, and, after taking breath for a moment, "In short," he went on, "Marius has been unable to see Mlle. Gilberte, and to appreciate the rare qualities of her heart, without falling desperately in love with her."

Mme. Favoral made a gesture of protest, "Allow me, sir," she began.

But he interrupted her.

"I understand you, madame," he resumed. "You wonder how M. de Tregars can have seen your daughter, have known her, and have appreciated her, without your seeing or hearing any thing of it. Nothing is more simple, and, if I may venture to say-hum!-more natural."

And the worthy old soldier began to explain to Mme. Favoral the meetings in the Place-Royale, his conversations with Marius, intended really for Mlle. Gilberte, and the part he had consented to play in this little comedy. But he became embarra.s.sed in his sentences, he multiplied his hum! and his broum! in the most alarming manner; and his explanations explained nothing.

Mlle. Gilberte took pity on him; and, kindly interrupting him, she herself told her story, and that of Marius.

She told the pledge they had exchanged, how they had seen each other twice, and how they constantly heard of each other through the very innocent and very unconscious Signor Gismondo Pulei.

Maxence and Mme. Favoral were dumbfounded. They would have absolutely refused to believe such a story, had it not been told by Mlle. Gilberte herself.

"Ah, my dear sister!" thought Maxence, "who could have suspected such a thing, seeing you always so calm and so meek!"

"Is it possible," Mme. Favoral was saying to herself; "that I can have been so blind and so deaf?"

As to the Count de Villegre, he would have tried in vain to express the grat.i.tude he felt towards Mlle. Gilberte for having spared him these difficult explanations.

"I could not have done half as well myself, by the eternal!" he thought, like a man who has no illusions on his own account.

But, as soon as she had done, addressing himself to Mme. Favoral, "Now, madame," he said, "you know all; and you will understand that the irreparable disaster that strikes you has removed the only obstacle which had hitherto stood in the way of Marius."

He rose, and in a solemn tone, without any hum or broum, this time, "I have the honor, madame," he uttered, "to solicit the hand of Mlle. Gilberte, your daughter, for my friend Yves-Marius de Genost, Marquis de Tregars."

A profound silence followed this speech. But this silence the Count de Villegre doubtless interpreted in his own favor; for, stepping to the parlor-door, he opened it, and called, "Marius!"

Marius de Tregars had foreseen all that had just taken place, and had so informed the Count de Villegre in advance.

Being given Mme. Favoral's disposition, he knew what could be expected of her; and he had his own reasons to fear nothing from Maxence. And, if he mistrusted somewhat the diplomatic talents of his amba.s.sador, he relied absolutely upon Mlle. Gilberte's energy.

And so confident was he of the correctness of his calculations, that he had insisted upon accompanying his old friend, so as to be on hand at the critical moment.

When the servant had opened the door to them, he had ordered her to introduce M. de Villegre, stating that he would himself wait in the dining-room. This arrangement had not seemed entirely natural to the girl; but so many strange things had happened in the house for the past twenty-four hours, that she was prepared for any thing.

Besides recognizing Marius as the gentleman who had had a violent altercation in the morning with M. Costeclar, she did as he requested, and, leaving him alone in the dining-room, went to attend to her duties.

He had taken a seat, impa.s.sive in appearance, but in reality agitated by that internal trepidation of which the strongest men cannot free themselves in the decisive moments of their life.

To a certain extent, the prospects of his whole life were to be decided on the other side of that door which had just closed behind the Count de Villegre. To the success of his love, other interests were united, which required immediate success.

And, counting the seconds by the beatings of his heart, "How very slow they are!" he thought.

And so, when the door opened at last, and his old friend called him, he jumped to his feet, and collecting all his coolness and self-possession, he walked in.

Maxence had risen to receive him; but, when he saw him, he stepped back, his eyes glaring in utter surprise.

"Ah, great heavens!" he muttered in a smothered voice.

But M. de Tregars seemed not to notice his stupor. Quite self-possessed, notwithstanding his emotion, he cast a rapid glance over the Count de Villegre, Mme. Favoral and Mlle. Gilberte. At their att.i.tude, and at the expression of their countenance, he easily guessed the point to which things had come.

And, advancing towards Mme. Favoral, he bowed with an amount of respect which was certainly not put on.

"You have heard the Count de Villegre, madame," he said in a slightly altered tone of voice. "I am awaiting my fate."

The poor woman had never before in all her life been so fearfully perplexed. All these events, which succeeded each other so rapidly, had broken the feeble springs of her soul. She was utterly incapable of collecting her thoughts, or of taking a determination.

"At this moment, sir," she stammered, taken unawares, "it would be impossible for me to answer you. Grant me a few days for reflection. We have some old friends whom I ought to consult."

But Maxence, who had got over his stupor, interrupted her.

"Friends, mother!" he exclaimed. "And who are they? People in our position have no friends. What! when we are perishing, a man of heart holds out his hand to us, and you ask to reflect? To my sister, who bears a name henceforth disgraced, the Marquis de Tregars offers his name, and you think of consulting."

The poor woman was shaking her head.

"I am not the mistress, my son," she murmured; "and your father-"

"My father!" interrupted the young man,-"my father! What rights can he have over us hereafter?" And without further discussion, without awaiting an answer, he took his sister's hand, and, placing it in M. de Tregars' hand, "Ah! take her, sir," he uttered. "Never, whatever she may do, will she acquit the debt of eternal grat.i.tude which we this day contract towards you."

A tremor that shook their frames, a long look which they exchanged, betrayed alone the feelings of Marius and Mlle. Gilberte. They had of life a too cruel experience not to mistrust their joy.

Returning to Mme. Favoral, "You do not understand, madame," he went on, "why I should have selected for such a step the very moment when an irreparable calamity befalls you. One word will explain all. Being in a position to serve you, I wished to acquire the right of doing so."

Fixing upon him a look in which the gloomiest despair could be read, "Alas!" stammered the poor woman, "what can you do for me, sir? My life is ended. I have but one wish left,-that of knowing where my husband is hid. It is not for me to judge him. He has not given me the happiness which I had, perhaps, the right to expect; but he is my husband, he is unhappy: my duty is to join him wherever he may be, and to share his sufferings."

She was interrupted by the servant, who was calling her at the parlor-door, "Madame, madame!"

"What is the matter?" inquired Maxence.

"I must speak to madame at once."

Making an effort to rise and walk, Mme. Favoral went out. She was gone but a minute; and, when she returned, her agitation had further increased. "It is the hand of Providence, perhaps," she said. The others were all looking at her anxiously. She took a seat, and, addressing herself more especially to M. de Tregars, "This is what happens," she said in a feeble voice. "M. Favoral was in the habit of always changing his coat as soon as he came home. As usual, he did so last evening. When they came to arrest him, he forgot to change again, and went off with the coat he had on. The other remained hanging in the room, where the girl took it just now to brush it, and put it away; and this portfolio, which my husband always carries with him, fell from its pocket."

It was an old Russia leather portfolio, which had once been red, but which time and use had turned black. It was full of papers.

"Perhaps, indeed," exclaimed Maxence, "we may find some information there."

He opened it, and had already taken out three-fourths of its contents without finding any thing of any consequence, when suddenly he uttered an exclamation. He had just opened an anonymous note, evidently written in a disguised hand, and at one glance had read, "I cannot understand your negligence. You should get through that Van Klopen matter. There is the danger."

"What is that note?" inquired M. de Tregars.

Maxence handed it to him.

"See!" said he, "but you will not understand the immense interest it has for me."

But having read it, "You are mistaken," said Marius. "I understand perfectly; and I'll prove it to you."

The next moment, Maxence took out of the portfolio, and read aloud, the following bill, dated two days before.

"Sold to -- two leather trunks with safety locks at 220 francs each; say, francs 440."

M. de Tregars started.

"At last," he said, "here is doubtless one end of the thread which will guide us to the truth through this labyrinth of iniquities."

And, tapping gently on Maxence's shoulders, "We must talk," he said, "and at length. To-morrow, before you go to M. de Thaller's with his fifteen thousand francs, call and see me: I shall expect you. We are now engaged upon a common work; and something tells me, that, before long, we shall know what has become of the Mutual Credit's millions."

PART II.

FISHING IN TROUBLED WATERS.

I

"When I think," said Coleridge, "that every morning, in Paris alone, thirty thousand fellows wake up, and rise with the fixed and settled idea of appropriating other people's money, it is with renewed wonder that every night, when I go home, I find my purse still in my pocket."

And yet it is not those who simply aim to steal your portemonnaie who are either the most dishonest or the most formidable.

To stand at the corner of some dark street, and rush upon the first man that comes along, demanding, "Your money or your life," is but a poor business, devoid of all prestige, and long since given up to chivalrous natures.

A man must be something worse than a simpleton to still ply his trade on the high-roads, exposed to all sorts of annoyances on the part of the gendarmes, when manufacturing and financial enterprises offer such a magnificently fertile field to the activity of imaginative people.

And, in order to thoroughly understand the mode of proceeding in this particular field, it is sufficient to open from time to time a copy of "The Police Gazette," and to read some trial, like that, for instance, of one Lefurteux, ex-president of the Company for the Drainage and Improvement of the Orne Swamps.

This took place less than a month ago in one of the police-courts.

The Judge to the Accused-Your profession?

M. Lefurteux-President of the company.

Question-Before that what were you doing?

Answer-I speculated at the bourse.

Q-You had no means?

A-I beg your pardon: I was making money.

Q-And it was under such circ.u.mstances that you had the audacity to organize a company with a capital stock of three million of francs, divided in shares of five hundred francs?

A-Having discovered an idea, I did not suppose that I was forbidden to work it up.

Q-What do you call an idea?

A-The idea of draining swamps, and making them productive.

Q-What swamps? Yours never had any existence, except in your prospectus.

A-I expected to buy them as soon as my capital was paid in.

Q-And in the mean time you promised ten per cent to your stockholders.

A-That's the least that draining operations ever pay.

Q-You have advertised?

A-Of course.

Q-To what extent?

A-To the extent of about sixty thousand francs.

Q-Where did you get the money?

A-I commenced with ten thousand francs, which a friend of mine had lent me; then I used the funds as they came in.

Q-In other words, you made use of the money of your first dupes to attract others?

A-Many people thought it was a good thing.

Q-Who? Those to whom you sent your prospectus with a plan of your pretended swamps?

A-Excuse me. Others too.

Q-How much money did you ever receive?

A-About six hundred thousand francs, as the expert has stated.

Q-And you have spent the whole of the money?

A-Permit me? I have never applied to my personal wants anything beyond the salary which was allowed me by the By-laws.