Part 2 (1/2)
”It is not for herself, Monsieur,” here interposed M Arthur, whilst a blush suffused Mlle Geoffroy's lovely face, ”that my sister desires to consult you, but for her fiance M de Marsan, who is very ill indeed, hovering, in fact, between life and death He could not come in person The matter is one that demands the most profound secrecy”
”You may rely on , I flatter htest trace of that astonishment which, at mention of M de Marsan's name, had nearly rendered me speechless
”M de Marsan came to see me in utmost distress, Monsieur,” resumed the lovely creature ”He had no one in whom he could--or rather dared--confide He is in the Chancellerie for Foreign Affairs His uncle M de Talleyrand thinks a great deal of hi he gave M de Marsan a valuable paper to copy--a paper, Monsieur, the importance of which it were impossible to overesti, are involved in it I cannot tell you its exact contents, and it is because I would not tell more about it to the police that they would not help me in any way, and referred me to you
How could they, said the chief Commissary to me, run after a document the contents of which they did not even know? But you will be satisfied hat I have told you, will you not, my dear M
Ratichon?” she continued, with a pathetic quiver in her voice and a look of appeal in her eyes which St Anthony hiain possession of that paper, the final loss of which would cost M de Marsan his life”
To say that o had turned to one of supreme beatitude would be to put it veryin tears before me, and that it lay ina smile round those perfect lips, literally made my mouth water in anticipation--for I auessed, just as I did in a moment, that the valuable doculy hidden away under the flooring of my room in Passy I hated that unknown de Marsan I hated this Arthur who leaned so familiarly over her chair, but I had the power to render her a service beside which their lesser claiard would pale
However, I am not the man to act on impulse, even at a moment like this I wanted to think the whole matter over first, and
wellI had made up my mind to demand five thousand francs when I handed the docu At any rate, for the reat circunity
”I must presume, Mademoiselle,” I said in my most business-like manner, ”that the document you speak of has been stolen”
”Stolen, Monsieur,” she assented whilst the tears once athered in her eyes, ”and M de Marsan now lies at death's door with a terrible attack of brain fever, brought on by shock when he discovered the loss”
”How and as it stolen?” I asked
”Soave the docu him that he wanted the copy by midday M de Marsan set to work at once, laboured uninterruptedly until about eleven o'clock, when a loud altercation, followed by cries of 'Murder!' and of 'Help!' and proceeding from the corridor outside his door, caused hi The altercation turned out to be between twoby the endarme who ordered them out The men were not hurt; nevertheless they screa h, and I don't knohat has become of them, but”
”But,” I concluded blandly, ”whilst M de Marsan was out of the room the precious document was stolen”
”It was, Monsieur,” exclaimed Mlle Geoffroy piteously ”You will find it for uswill you not?”
Then she addedten thousand francs reward for the recovery of the document”
I did not fall off my chair, but I closed my eyes The vision which the lovely lady's words had conjured up dazzled e you my word of honour that I will find the document for you and lay it at your feet or die in your service Givewhich I will o at once to the Chancellerie and collect what evidence I can I have worked under M
de Robespierre, Madereat Napoleon, and under the illustrious Fouche! I have never been known to fail, once I have set my mind upon a task”
”In that case you will earn your ten thousand francs, my friend,” said the odious Arthur drily, ”and my sister and M de Marsan will still be your debtors Are there any questions you would like to ask before we go?”
”None,” I said loftily, choosing to ignore his sneering ns to present herself here to-morrow at two o'clock I will have news to communicate to her”
You will ad ave me a few more details in connexion with the affair To these details I listened ell simulated interest Of course, they did not know that there were no details in connexion with this affair that I did not know already My heart was actually dancing withinthat the present appeared like a dreael, an emissary from above come to tell me of the happiness which was in store for arden--the ed now to be rid of my visitors, to be alone once lorious adventure Ten thousand francs was the reward offered me by this adorable creature! Well, then, why should not M Charles Saurez, on his side, pay me another ten thousand for the sauishable from the first?
Ten thousand, instead of two hundred which he had the audacity to offer me!
Seven o'clock had struck before I finally bowed one The lazy lout would never stay as much as five minutes after his appointed time, so I had to show the adorable creature and her fat brother out of the premises myself But I did not mind that I flatter myself that I can always carry off an aard situation in a dignified manner A brief allusion to the inefficiency of present-day servants, a jocose comment on my own simplicity of habits, and the deed was done M Arthur Geoffroy and Mademoiselle Madeleine his sister were half-way down the stairs A quarter of an hour later I was once more out in the streets of Paris It was a beautiful, balht I had two hundred francs in nificent prospect of twenty thousand francs before ance I had dinner at one of the fashi+onable restaurants on the quay, and I redreams such as I had never dreamed before At ten o'clock I was once more on my way to Passy
5
When I turned the corner of the street and caed, I felt like a being from another world
Twenty thousand francs--a fortune!--aiting for y walls Yes, twenty thousand, for by now I had fully made up my mind I had two documents concealed beneath the floor of my bedroom--one so like the other that none could tell the who had offered me ten thousand francs for it, and the other I would sell to my first and uncouth client for another ten thousand francs!