The Mysteries Of Paris Volume Iii Part 22

Sarah had scarcely left the notary before M. Charles Robert entered, after alighting from a very das.h.i.+ng cabriolet. He went like a person on most intimate terms to the private room of Jacques Ferrand.

The commandant, as Madame Pipelet called him, entered without ceremony into the notary's cabinet, whom he found in a surly, bilious mood, and who thus accosted him:

"I reserve the afternoon for my clients; when you wish to speak to me come in the morning, will you?"

"My dear lawyer" (this was a standing pleasantry of M. Robert), "I have a very important matter to talk about in the first place, and, in the next, I was anxious to a.s.sure you in person against any alarms you might have--"

"What alarms?"

"What! Haven't you heard?"

"What?"

"Of my duel--"

"Your duel?"

"With the Duke de Lucenay. Is it possible you have not heard of it?"

"Quite possible."

"Pooh! pooh!"

"But what did you fight about?"

"A very serious matter, which called for bloodshed. Only imagine that, at a very large party, M. de Lucenay actually said that I had a phlegmy cough!"

"That you had--"

"A phlegmy cough, my dear lawyer; a complaint which is really most ridiculously absurd!"

"And did you fight about that?"

"What the devil would you have a man fight about? Can you imagine that a man could stand calmly and hear himself charged with having a phlegmy cough? And before a lovely woman, too! Before a little marchioness, who--who--In a word, I could not stand it!"

"Really!"

"The military men, you see, are always sensitive. My seconds went, the day before yesterday, to try and obtain some explanation from those of the duke. I put the matter perfectly straight,--a duel or an ample apology."

"An ample apology for what?"

"For the phlegmy cough, _pardieu!_--the phlegmy cough that he fastened on me."

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 a.s.sert 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 a.s.serts 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 pa.s.sed 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 (14,000_l._) 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."