16Dr. Hortebise was the first to arrive. It was a terrible thing for himto get up so early; but for Mascarin's sake he consented even to thisinconvenience. When he passed through the office, the room was full ofclients; but this did not prevent the doctor from noticing thenegligence of Beaumarchef's costume.
"Aha!" remarked the doctor, "on the drunk again, I am afraid.""M. Mascarin is within," answered the badgered clerk, endeavoring toput on an air of dignity; "and M. Tantaine is with him."A brilliant idea flashed across the doctor's mind, but it was with anair of gravity that he said,--"I shall be charmed to meet that most worthy old gentleman."When, however, he entered the inner sanctum, he found Mascarin alone,occupied in sorting the eternal pieces of pasteboard.
"Well, what news?" asked he.
"There is none that I know of.""What, have you not seen Paul?""No.""Will he be here?""Certainly."Mascarin was often laconic, but he seldom gave such short answers asthis.
"What is the matter?" asked the doctor. "Your greeting is quitefunereal. Are you not well?""I am merely preoccupied, and that is excusable on the eve of thebattle we are about to fight," returned Mascarin.
He only, however, told a portion of the truth; for there was more inthe background, which he did not wish to confide to his friend. TotoChupin's revolt had disquieted him. Let there be but a single flaw inthe axletree, and one day it will snap in twain; and Mascarin wantedto eliminate this flaw.
"Pooh!" remarked the doctor, playing with his locket, "we shallsucceed. What have we to fear, after all,--opposition on Paul's part?""Paul may resent a little," answered Mascarin disdainfully; "but Ihave decided that he shall be present at our meeting of to-day. Itwill be a stormy one, so be prepared. We might give him his medicinein minims, but I prefer the whole dose at once.""The deuce you do! Suppose he should be frightened, and make off withour secret.""He won't make off," replied Mascarin in a tone which froze hislistener's blood. "He can't escape from us any more than thecockchafer can from the string that a child has fastened to it. Do younot understand weak natures like his? He is the glove, I the stronghand beneath it."The doctor did not argue this point, but merely murmured,--"Let us hope that it is so.""Should we have any opposition, resumed Mascarin, "it will come fromCatenac. I may be able to force him into co-operation with us, but hisheart will not be in the enterprise.""Do you propose to bring Catenac into this affair?" asked Hortebise ingreat surprise.
"Assuredly.""Why have you changed your plan?""Simply because I have recognized the fact that, if we dispensed withhis services, we should be entirely at the mercy of a shrewd man ofbusiness, because----"He broke off, listened for a moment, and then said,--"Hush! I can hear his footstep."A dry cough was heard outside, and in another moment Catenac enteredthe room.
Nature, or profound dissimulation, had gifted Catenac with an exteriorwhich made every one, when first introduced to him, exclaim, "This isan honest and trustworthy man." Catenac always looked his clientsboldly in the face. His voice was pleasant, and had a certain ring ofjoviality in it, and his manner was one of those easy ones whichalways insure popularity. He was looked upon as a shrewd lawyer; butyet he did not shine in court. He must therefore, to make those thirtythousand francs a year which he was credited with doing, have somespecial line of business. He assayed rather risky matters, which mightbring both parties into the clutches of the criminal law, or, at anyrate, leave them with a taint upon both their names. A sensationallawsuit is begun, and the public eagerly await the result; suddenlythe whole thing collapses, for Catenac has acted as mediator. He haseven settled the disputes of murderers quarreling over their booty.
But he has even gone farther than this. More than once he has said ofhimself, "I have passed through the vilest masses of corruption." Inhis office in the Rue Jacob he has heard whispered conferences whichwere enough to bring down the roof above his head. Of course this wasthe most lucrative business that passed into Catenac's hands. Theclient conceals nothing from his attorney, and he belongs to him asabsolutely as the sick man belongs to his physician or the penitent tohis confessor.
"Well, my dear Baptiste," said he, "here I am; you summoned me, and Iam obedient to the call.""Sit down," replied Mascarin gravely.
"Thanks, my friend, many thanks, a thousand thanks; but I am muchhurried; indeed I have not a moment to spare. I have matters on myhands of life and death.""But for all that," remarked Hortebise, "you can sit down for amoment. Baptiste has something to say to you which is as important asany of your matters can be."With a frank and genial smile Catenac obeyed; but in his heart wereanger and an abject feeling of alarm.
"What is it that is so important?" asked he.
Mascarin had risen and locked the door. When he had resumed his seathe said,--"The facts are very simple. Hortebise and I have decided to put ourgreat plan into execution, which we have as yet only discussedgenerally with you. We have the Marquis de Croisenois with us.""My dear sir," broke in the lawyer.
"Wait a little; we must have your assistance, and----"Catenac rose from his seat. "That is enough," said he. "You have madea very great mistake if it is on this matter that you have sent forme; I told you this before."He was turning away, and looking for his hat, proposed to beat aretreat; but Dr. Hortebise stood between him and the door, gazing uponhim with no friendly expression of countenance. Catenac was not a manto be easily alarmed, but the doctor's appearance was so threatening,and the smile upon Mascarin's lips was of so deadly a character, thathe stood still, positively frightened into immobility.
"What do you mean?" stammered he; "what is it you say now?""First," replied the doctor, speaking slowly and distinctly,--"first,we wish that you should listen to us when we speak to you.""I am listening.""Then sit down again, and hear what Baptiste has to say."The command Catenac had over his countenance was so great that it wasimpossible to see to what conclusion he had arrived from the words andmanner of his confederates.
"Then let Baptiste explain himself," said he.
"Before entering into matters completely," said he coolly, "I firstwant to ask our dear friend and associate if he is prepared to actwith us?""Why should there be any doubt on that point?" asked the lawyer. "Doall my repeated assurances count as nothing?""We do not want promises now; what we do want is good faith and realco-operation.""Can it be that you--""I ought to inform you," continued Mascarin, unheeding theinterruption, "that we have every prospect of success; and, if wecarry the matter through, we shall certainly have a million apiece."Hortebise had not the calm patience of his confederate, andexclaimed,--"You understand it well enough. Say Yes or No."Catenac was in the agonies of indecision, and for fully a minute madeno reply.
"/No/, then!" he broke out in a manner which betrayed his intenseagitation. "After due consideration, and having carefully weighed thechances for and against, I answer you decidedly, No."Mascarin and Hortebise evidently expected this reply, and exchangedglances.
"Permit me to explain," said Catenac, "what you consider as a cowardlywithdrawal upon my part--""Call it treachery.""I will not quibble about words. I wish to be perfectlystraightforward with you.""I am glad to hear it," sneered the doctor, "though that is not yourusual form.""And yet I do not think that I have ever concealed my real opinionfrom you. It is fully ten years ago since I spoke to you of thenecessity of breaking up this association. Can you recall what I said?
I said only our extreme need and griping poverty justified our acts.
They are now inexcusable.""You talked very freely of your scruples," observed Mascarin.
"You remember my words then?""Yes, and I remember too that those inner scruples never hindered youfrom drawing your share of the profits.""That is to say," burst in the doctor, "you repudiated the work, butshared the booty. You wished to play the game without stakinganything."Catenac was in no way disconcerted at this trenchant argument.
"Quite true," said he, "I always received my share; but I have donequite as much as you in putting the agency in its present prosperouscondition. Does it not work smoothly like a perfect piece ofmechanism? Have we not succeeded in nearly all our schemes? The incomecomes in monthly with extreme regularity, and I, according to myrights, have received one-third. If you desire to throw up thisperilous means of livelihood, say so, and I will not oppose it.""You are really too good," sneered the doctor, with a look of menacein his glance.
"Nor," continued Catenac, "will I oppose you if you prefer to letmatters stand as they are; but if you start on fresh enterprises, andembark on the tempestuous sea of danger, then I put down my foot andvery boldly 'halt.' I will not take another step with you. I can seeby the looks of both of you that you think me a fool and a coward.
Heaven grant that the future may not show you only too plainly that Ihave been in the right. Think over this. For twenty years fortune hasfavored us, but, believe me, it is never wise to tempt her too far,for it is well known that at some time or other she always turns.""Your imagery is really charming," remarked Hortebise sarcastically.
"Good, I have nothing else to say but to repeat my warning: /reflect/.
Grand as your hopes and expectations may be, they are as nothing tothe perils that you will encounter."This cold flood of eloquence was more than the doctor could bear.
"It is all very well for you," exclaimed he, "to reason like this, foryou are a rich man.""I have enough to live on, I allow; for in addition to the incomederived from my profession, I have saved two hundred thousand francs;and if you can be induced to renounce your projects, I will dividethis sum with you. You have only to think."Mascarin, who had taken no part in the dispute, now judged it time tointerfere.
"And so," said he, turning to Catenac, "you have only two hundredthousand francs?""That or thereabouts.""And you offer to divide this sum with us. Really we ought to bedeeply grateful to you, but----"Mascarin paused for a moment; then settling his spectacles morefirmly, he went on,--"But even if you were to give us what you propose, you would stillhave eleven hundred francs remaining!"Catenac burst into a pleasant laugh. "You are jesting," said he.
"I can prove the correctness of my assertion;" and as he spoke,Mascarin unlocked a drawer, and taking a small notebook from it,turned over the pages, and leaving it open at a certain place, handedit to the lawyer.
"There," said he, "that is made up to December last, and showsprecisely how you stand financially. Twice, then, you have increasedyour funds. These deposits you will find in an addenda at the end ofthe book."Catenac started to his feet; all his calmness had now disappeared.
"Yes," he said, "I have just the sum you name; and I, for that veryreason, refuse to have anything further to do with your schemes. Ihave an income of sixty thousand francs; that is to say, sixtythousand good reasons for receiving no further risks. You envy me mygood fortune, but did we not all start penniless? I have taken care ofmy money, while you have squandered yours. Hortebise has lost hispatients, while I have increased the number of my clients; and now youwant me to tread the dangerous road again. Not I; go your way, andleave me to go home."Again he took up his hat, but a wave of the hand from Mascarindetained him.
"Suppose," said he coldly, "that I told you that your assistance wasnecessary to me.""I should say so much the worse for you.""But suppose I insist?""And how can you insist? We are both in the same boat, and sink orswim together.""Are you certain of that?""So certain that I repeat from this day I wash my hands of you.""I am afraid you are in error.""How so?""Because for twelve months past; I have given food and shelter to agirl of the name of Clarisse. Do you by any chance know her?"At the mention of this name, the lawyer started, as a man starts who,walking peacefully along, suddenly sees a deadly serpent coiled acrosshis path.
"Clarisse," stammered he, "how did you know of her? who told you?"But the sarcastic sneer upon the lips of his two confederates woundedhis pride so deeply, that in an instant he recovered his self-possession.
"I am getting foolish," said he, "to ask these men how they learned mysecret. Do they not always work by infamous and underhand means?""You see I know all," remarked Mascarin, "for I foresaw the day wouldcome when you would wish to sever our connection, and even give us upto justice, if you could do so with safety to yourself. I thereforetook my precautions. One thing, however, I was not prepared for, andthat was, that a man of your intelligence should have played so paltrya game, and even twelve months back thought of betraying us. It isalmost incredible. Do you ever read the /Gazette des Tribunaux/? I sawin its pages yesterday a story nearly similar to your own. Shall Itell it to you? A lawyer who concealed his vices beneath a mantle ofjoviality and candor, brought up from the country a pretty, innocentgirl to act as servant in his house. This lawyer occupied his leisuretime in leading the poor child astray, and the moment at last camewhen the consequences of her weakness were too apparent. The lawyerwas half beside himself at the approaching scandal. What would theneighbors say? Well, to cut the story short, the infant wassuppressed,--you understand, suppressed, and the mother turned intothe street.""Baptiste, have mercy!""It was a most imprudent act, for such things always leak out somehow.
You have a gardener at your house at Champigny, and suppose the ideaseized upon this worthy man to dig up the ground round the wall at theend of the garden.""That is enough," said Catenac, piteously. "I give in."Mascarin adjusted his spectacles, as he always did in importantmoments.
"You give in, do you? Not a bit. Even now you are endeavoring to finda means of parrying my home thrusts.""But I declare to you----""Do not be alarmed; dig as deeply as he might, your gardener woulddiscover nothing."The lawyer uttered a stifled exclamation of rage as he perceived thepit into which he had fallen.
"He would find nothing," resumed Mascarin, "and yet the story is alltrue. Last January, on a bitterly cold night, you dug a hole, and init deposited the body of a new-born infant wrapped in a shawl. Andwhat shawl? Why the very one that you purchased at the /Bon Marche/,when you were making yourself agreeable to Clarisse. The shopman whosold it to you has identified it, and is ready to give evidence whencalled upon. You may look for that shawl, Catenac, but you will notfind it.""Have you got that shawl?" asked Catenac hoarsely.
"Am I a fool?" asked Mascarin contemptuously. "Tantaine has it; but/I/ know where the body is, and will keep the information to myself.
Do not be alarmed; act fairly, and you are safe; but make onetreacherous move, and you will read in the next day's papers aparagraph something to this effect: 'Yesterday some workmen, engagedin excavations near so-and-so, discovered the body of a new-borninfant. Every effort is being made to discover the author of thecrime.' You know me, and that I work promptly. To the shawl I haveadded a handkerchief and a few other articles belonging to Clarisse,which will render it an easy matter to fix the guilt on you."Catenac was absolutely stunned, and had lost all power of defendinghimself. The few incoherent words that he uttered showed his state ofutter despair.
"You have killed me," gasped he, "just as the prize, that I have beenlooking for for twenty yeas, was in my grasp.""Work does a man no harm," remarked the doctor sententiously.
There was, however, little time to lose; the Marquis de Croisenois andPaul might be expected to arrive at any moment, and Mascarin hastenedto restore a certain amount of calmness to his prostrate antagonist.
"You make as much noise as if we were going to hand you over to theexecutioner on the spot. Do you think that we are such a pair of foolsas to risk all these hazards without some almost certain chance ofsuccess? Hortebise was as much startled as yourself when I first spoketo him of this affair, but I explained everything fully to him, andnow he is quite enthusiastic in the matter. Of course you can layaside all fear, and, as a man of the world, will bear no maliceagainst those who have simply played a better game than yourself.""Go on," said Catenac, forcing a smile, "I am listening."Mascarin made a short pause.
"What we want of you," answered he, "will not compromise you in theslightest degree. I wish you to draw up a document, the particulars ofwhich I will give you presently, and you will outwardly have noconnection with the matter.""Very good.""But there is more yet. The Duke of Champdoce has placed a difficulttask in your hands. You are engaged in a secret on his behalf.""You know that also?""I know everything that may be made subservient to our ends. I alsoknow that instead of coming direct to me you went to the very man thatwe have every reason to dread, that fellow Perpignan, who is nearly assharp as we are.""Go on," returned Catenac impatiently. "What do you expect from me onthis point?""Not much; you must only come to me first, and report any discoveryyou may have made, and never give any information to the Duke withoutfirst consulting us.""I agree."The contending parties seemed to have arrived at an amicabletermination, and Dr. Hortebise smiled complacently.
"Now," said he, "shall we not confess, after all, that there was nouse in making such a fuss?""I allow that I was in the wrong," answered Catenac meekly; and,extending his hands to his two associates with an oily smile, he said:
"Let us forget and forgive."Was he to be trusted? Mascarin and the doctor exchanged glances ofsuspicion. A moment afterward a knock came to the door, and Paulentered, making a timid bow to his two patrons.
"My dear boy," said Mascarin, "let me present you to one of my oldestand best friends." Then, turning to Catenac, he added: "I wish to askyou to help and assist my young friend here. Paul Violaine is a goodfellow, who has neither father nor mother, and whom we are trying tohelp on in his journey through life."The lawyer started as he caught the strange, meaning smile whichaccompanied these words.
"Great heavens!" said he, "why did you not speak sooner?"Catenac at once divined Mascarin's project, and understood theallusion to the Duke de Champdoce.