Volume II Part 16 (1/2)

”The notary?”

”Yes,” said Louise, in a low tone, and looking around her, as if she were afraid of being overheard.

”Compose yourself,” answered Rudolph. ”This man is cruel and powerful, but no matter; we will face him. Besides, if I reveal what you are about to tell us, it will be only in your interest or in that of your father.”

”And, Louise, if I speak, it will be to try to save you. But what has this wicked man done?”

”This is not all,” said Louise, after a moment's reflection; ”this sad tale concerns some one who has rendered me a great service--who has been for my father and family full of kindness--this person was employed at M. Ferrand's when I went; I have sworn not to mention the name.”

”If you mean Francois Germain, be easy; his secret will be kept by your father and myself,” said Rudolph.

Louise looked at Rudolph with surprise.

”You know him?” said she.

”The good and excellent young man who lived here for three months, and was employed at the notary's when you went there?” said Morel. ”The first time you saw him here you appeared not to know him.”

”That was agreed upon between us. He had grave reasons to conceal that he worked for M. Ferrand. It was I who told him of the chamber on the fourth story, knowing he would be a good neighbor for you.”

”But,” said Rudolph, ”who placed your daughter with the notary?”

”When my wife was taken sick, I had said to Madame Burette, the p.a.w.nbroker, who lives in this house, that Louise wished to go to service to aid us. Madame Burette knew the housekeeper of the notary; she gave me a letter to her, in which she strongly recommended Louise.

Cursed--cursed be that letter; it has caused all our misfortunes. So, sir, this is the way my daughter went there.”

”Although I am informed of some of the facts which have caused the hatred of M. Ferrand toward your father,” said Rudolph to Louise, ”I beg you will relate to me in a few words what pa.s.sed between you and the notary since you entered his service. This may serve to defend you.”

”During the first months of my stay at M. Ferrand's I had no reason to complain of him. I had much work to do; the housekeeper was often very rough toward me; the house was gloomy; but I endured all with patience; servitude is servitude, otherwise I should have had other disagreements. M. Ferrand had a stern look. He went to ma.s.s; he often received priests. I did not mistrust him. At first he hardly looked at me. He spoke very cross to me; above all, in the presence of strangers.

”Except the porter who lodged on the street, in the building where the office is, I was the only domestic with Mrs. Seraphin, the housekeeper. The building we occupied was an old isolated ruin, between the court and garden. My chamber was quite up to the top. Very often I was afraid to remain alone all the evening, either in the kitchen, which was underground, or in my chamber. In the night, I sometimes thought I heard extraordinary noises in the room under mine, which no one occupied, and where M. Germain alone often came to work during the day. Two of the windows of this story were walled up, and one of the doors, very thick, was strengthened with bars of iron. The housekeeper told me afterward that M. Ferrand kept his strong box there.

”One night I had sat up very late to finish some mending, which was very urgent; I was about to go to bed, when I heard some one walking very softly in the corridor at the end of which was my chamber: they stopped at my door; at first I thought it was the housekeeper, but as she did not come in, it made me afraid; I dared not stir; I listened, no one stirred; I was, however, sure there was some one behind the door; I asked twice who was there--no one answered. More and more alarmed, I pushed my chest of drawers against the door, which had neither lock nor bolt. I still listened--nothing stirred; at the end of half-an-hour, which appeared very long, I threw myself on my bed; the night pa.s.sed tranquilly. The next morning I asked the housekeeper for permission to put a bolt on my door, as there was no lock, relating to her my fears of the last night; she answered that I had dreamed, that I must speak to M. Ferrand about it; at my demand he shrugged his shoulders, and told me I was a fool. I did not dare to say anything more.

”Some time after this happened the affair of the diamond. My father, almost desperate, knew not what to do. I related his trouble to Mrs.

Seraphin; she answered, 'M. Ferrand is so charitable that perhaps he will do something for your father.' The same evening I waited on table; M. Ferrand said to me, bluntly, 'Your father has need of thirteen hundred francs; go this night and tell him to come to my office to-morrow; he shall have the money. He is an honest man, and deserves that one should interest himself for him.' At this act of kindness I burst into tears; I did not know how to thank my master. He said to me, in his ordinary rough manner, 'It is well, it is well; what I have done is very simple.” In the evening I came to tell the good news to my father, and the next day----”

”I had the money, against a bill at three months' date, accepted in blank by me,” said Morel. ”I did like Louise; I wept with grat.i.tude: I called him my benefactor. Oh! he must needs have been wicked indeed to destroy the grat.i.tude and veneration I vowed to him.”

”This precaution to make you sign a bill in blank, at such a date that you could not pay it, did not awaken your suspicions?” asked Rudolph.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ARRIVAL OF THE SOLDIERS]

”No, sir, I thought that the notary only took it for security; besides, he told me I need not think of paying it under two years; every three months it should be renewed for the sake of being regular; yet, at the end of the first term, it was presented, and not being paid, he obtained a judgment against me under another name; but he told me not to be troubled, that it was an error of his clerk.”

”He wished thus to have you in his power,” said Rudolph.

”Alas! yes, sir; for it was from the date of his judgment he began to--but continue, Louise, continue: I do not know where I am. My head turns. I shall become mad; it is too much--too much!”

Rudolph soothed him, and Louise continued: ”I redoubled my zeal to show my grat.i.tude. The housekeeper then held me in great aversion; she often placed me in the wrong by not repeating the orders that M.