Part 69 (1/2)

”His remark is not parliamentary, but it is grand!” observed Ma.s.sol.

”But, my most delightful customer,” said du Tillet, ”you were recommended to me; I am your banker; your innocence reflects on my credit.”

”Yes, tell me, you are a reasonable creature----” said the Brazilian to the banker.

”Thanks on behalf of the company,” said Bixiou with a bow.

”Tell me the real facts,” Montes went on, heedless of Bixiou's interjection.

”Well, then,” replied du Tillet, ”I have the honor to tell you that I am asked to the Crevel wedding.”

”Ah, ha! Combabus holds a brief for Madame Marneffe!” said Josepha, rising solemnly.

She went round to Montes with a tragic look, patted him kindly on the head, looked at him for a moment with comical admiration, and nodded sagely.

”Hulot was the first instance of love through fire and water,” said she; ”this is the second. But it ought not to count, as it comes from the Tropics.”

Montes had dropped into his chair again, when Josepha gently touched his forehead, and looked at du Tillet as he said:

”If I am the victim of a Paris jest, if you only wanted to get at my secret----” and he sent a flas.h.i.+ng look round the table, embracing all the guests in a flaming glance that blazed with the sun of Brazil,--”I beg of you as a favor to tell me so,” he went on, in a tone of almost childlike entreaty; ”but do not vilify the woman I love.”

”Nay, indeed,” said Carabine in a low voice; ”but if, on the contrary, you are shamefully betrayed, cheated, tricked by Valerie, if I should give you the proof in an hour, in my own house, what then?”

”I cannot tell you before all these Iagos,” said the Brazilian.

Carabine understood him to say _magots_ (baboons).

”Well, well, say no more!” she replied, smiling. ”Do not make yourself a laughing-stock for all the wittiest men in Paris; come to my house, we will talk it over.”

Montes was crushed. ”Proofs,” he stammered, ”consider--”

”Only too many,” replied Carabine; ”and if the mere suspicion hits you so hard, I fear for your reason.”

”Is this creature obstinate, I ask you? He is worse than the late lamented King of Holland!--I say, Lousteau, Bixiou, Ma.s.sol, all the crew of you, are you not invited to breakfast with Madame Marneffe the day after to-morrow?” said Leon de Lora.

”_Ya_,” said du Tillet; ”I have the honor of a.s.suring you, Baron, that if you had by any chance thought of marrying Madame Marneffe, you are thrown out like a bill in Parliament, beaten by a blackball called Crevel. My friend, my old comrade Crevel, has eighty thousand francs a year; and you, I suppose, did not show such a good hand, for if you had, you, I imagine, would have been preferred.”

Montes listened with a half-absent, half-smiling expression, which struck them all with terror.

At this moment the head-waiter came to whisper to Carabine that a lady, a relation of hers, was in the drawing-room and wished to speak to her.

Carabine rose and went out to find Madame Nourrisson, decently veiled with black lace.

”Well, child, am I to go to your house? Has he taken the hook?”

”Yes, mother; and the pistol is so fully loaded, that my only fear is that it will burst,” said Carabine.

About an hour later, Montes, Cydalise, and Carabine, returning from the _Rocher de Cancale_, entered Carabine's little sitting-room in the Rue Saint-Georges. Madame Nourrisson was sitting in an armchair by the fire.

”Here is my worthy old aunt,” said Carabine.