Part 16 (1/2)
”And they do that sort of thing in business!” said Brigitte, quickly.
”If that were the only difficulty,” continued Theodose, ”it would be, as a friend of mine said to his pupil, who was complaining of the length of time it took to produce masterpieces in painting: 'My dear young fellow, if it were not so, our valets would be painting pictures.' But, mademoiselle, if we now get the better of this notary, who certainly deserves it, for he has compromised a number of private fortunes, yet, as he is a very shrewd man (though a notary), it might perhaps be very difficult to do it a second time, and here's the rub: When a piece of landed property is bought at a forced sale, if those who have lent money on that property see that is likely to be sold so low as not to cover the sum loaned upon it, they have the right, until the expiration of a certain time, to bid it in; that is, to offer more and keep the property in their own hands. If this trickster can't be hoodwinked as to the sale being a bona fide one until the time when his right to buy it expires, some other scheme must be resorted to. Now, is this business strictly legal? Am I justified in doing it for the benefit of a family I seek to enter? That is the question I have been revolving in my mind for the last three days.”
Brigitte, we must acknowledge, hesitated, and Theodose then brought forward his last card:--
”Take the night to think of it,” he said, ”to-morrow we will talk it over.”
”My young friend,” said Brigitte, looking at the lawyer with an almost loving air, ”the first thing to be done is to see the house. Where is it?”
”Near the Madeleine. That will be the heart of Paris in ten years. All that property has been desirable since 1819; the banker Du Tillet's fortune was derived from property about there. The famous failure of Maitre Roquin, which carried terror to all Paris, and did such harm to the confidence given to the notariat, was also caused by it; they went into heavy speculations on that land too soon; they should have waited until now.”
”I remember about that,” said Brigitte.
”The house might be finished by the end of the year,” continued Theodose, ”and the rentals could begin next spring.”
”Could we go there to-morrow?”
”Dear aunt, I am at your orders.”
”Ah ca!” she cried, ”don't call me that before people. As to this affair,” she continued, ”I can't have any opinion until I have seen the house.”
”It has six storeys; nine windows on the front; a fine courtyard, four shops, and it stands on a corner. Ah! that notary knows what he is about in wis.h.i.+ng to hold on to such pieces of property! But let political events interfere, and down go the Funds! If I were you, I should sell out all that you and Madame Thuillier have on the Grand Livre and buy this fine piece of real estate for Thuillier, and I'd recover the fortune of that poor, pious creature by savings from its proceeds. Can the Funds go higher than they are to-day? One hundred and twenty-two! it is fabulous; I should make haste to sell.”
Brigitte licked her lips; she perceived the means of keeping her own property intact, and of enriching her brother by this use of Madame Thuillier's fortune.
”My brother is right,” she said to Theodose; ”you certainly are a rare man; you'll get on in the world.”
”And he'll walk before me,” responded Theodose with a naivete that touched the old maid.
”You will live in the family,” she said.
”There may be obstacles to that,” he remarked. ”Madame Thuillier is very queer at times; she doesn't like me.”
”Ha! I'll settle that,” cried Brigitte. ”Do you attend to that affair and carry it through if it is feasible, and leave your interests in my hands.”
”Thuillier, member of the munic.i.p.al council, owner of an estate with a rental of forty thousand francs a year, with the cross of the Legion of honor and the author of a political work, grave, serious, important, will be deputy at the forthcoming general election. But, between ourselves, little aunt, one couldn't devote one's self so utterly except for a father-in-law.”
”You are right.”
”Though I have no fortune I shall have doubled yours; and if this affair goes through discreetly, others will turn up.”
”Until I have seen the house,” said Mademoiselle Thuillier again, ”I can decide on nothing.”
”Well then, send for a carriage to-morrow and let us go there. I will get a ticket early in the morning to view the premises.”
”To-morrow, then, about mid-day,” responded Brigitte, holding out her hand to Theodose that he might shake it, but instead of that he laid upon it the most respectful and the most tender kiss that Brigitte had ever in her life received.
”Adieu, my child,” she said, as he reached the door.
She rang the bell hurriedly and when the servant came:--