CHAPTER XVI.
A TURN OF THE SCREW.
Dr. 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 fullof clients; 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 to puton 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 the battlewe 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 wanted toeliminate this flaw.
"Pooh!" remarked the doctor, playing with his locket, "we shall succeed.What have we to fear, after all,--opposition on Paul's part?"
"Paul may resent a little," answered Mascarin disdainfully; "but I havedecided that he shall be present at our meeting of to-day. It will bea stormy one, so be prepared. We might give him his medicine in 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 the cockchafercan from the string that a child has fastened to it. Do you notunderstand weak natures like his? He is the glove, I the strong handbeneath 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 entered theroom.
Nature, or profound dissimulation, had gifted Catenac with an exteriorwhich made every one, when first introduced to him, exclaim, "This is anhonest and trustworthy man." Catenac always looked his clients boldly inthe face. His voice was pleasant, and had a certain ring of jovialityin it, and his manner was one of those easy ones which always insurepopularity. He was looked upon as a shrewd lawyer; but yet he did notshine in court. He must therefore, to make those thirty thousand francsa year which he was credited with doing, have some special line ofbusiness. He assayed rather risky matters, which might bring bothparties into the clutches of the criminal law, or, at any rate, leavethem with a taint upon both their names. A sensational lawsuit isbegun, and the public eagerly await the result; suddenly the whole thingcollapses, for Catenac has acted as mediator. He has even settled thedisputes of murderers quarreling over their booty. But he has even gonefarther than this. More than once he has said of himself, "I have passedthrough the vilest masses of corruption." In his office in the Rue Jacobhe has heard whispered conferences which were enough to bring down theroof above his head. Of course this was the most lucrative businessthat passed into Catenac's hands. The client conceals nothing from hisattorney, and he belongs to him as absolutely as the sick man belongs tohis physician or the penitent to his confessor.
"Well, my dear Baptiste," said he, "here I am; you summoned me, and I amobedient 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 my handsof life and death."
"But for all that," remarked Hortebise, "you can sit down for a moment.Baptiste has something to say to you which is as important as any ofyour 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 seat hesaid,--
"The facts are very simple. Hortebise and I have decided to put ourgreat plan into execution, which we have as yet only discussed generallywith 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 made avery great mistake if it is on this matter that you have sent for me; Itold 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 man tobe easily alarmed, but the doctor's appearance was so threatening, andthe smile upon Mascarin's lips was of so deadly a character, that hestood 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, wewish 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 first wantto ask our dear friend and associate if he is prepared to act with us?"
"Why should there be any doubt on that point?" asked the lawyer. "Do allmy 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 the interruption,"that we have every prospect of success; and, if we carry the matterthrough, we shall certainly have a million apiece."
Hortebise had not the calm patience of his confederate, and exclaimed,--
"You understand it well enough. Say Yes or No."
Catenac was in the agonies of indecision, and for fully a minute made noreply.
"_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 perfectly straightforwardwith 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 opinion fromyou. It is fully ten years ago since I spoke to you of the necessity ofbreaking up this association. Can you recall what I said? I said onlyour extreme need and griping poverty justified our acts. They are nowinexcusable."
"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 staking anything."
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 of mechanism?Have we not succeeded in nearly all our schemes? The income comes inmonthly with extreme regularity, and I, according to my rights, havereceived one-third. If you desire to throw up this perilous means oflivelihood, say so, and I will not oppose it."
"You are really too good," sneered the doctor, with a look of menace inhis 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 see bythe looks of both of you that you think me a fool and a coward. Heavengrant that the future may not show you only too plainly that I have beenin the right. Think over this. For twenty years fortune has favored us,but, believe me, it is never wise to tempt her too far, for it is wellknown 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 to theperils 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 divide thissum 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 be deeplygrateful to you, but----"
Mascarin paused for a moment; then settling his spectacles more firmly,he went on,--
"But even if you were to give us what you propose, you would still haveeleven hundred thousand 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, Mascarinunlocked a drawer, and taking a small notebook from it, turned over thepages, and leaving it open at a certain place, handed it to the lawyer.
"There," said he, "that is made up to December last, and shows preciselyhow you stand financially. Twice, then, you have increased your funds.These deposits you will find in an addenda at the end of the 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. I havean income of sixty thousand francs; that is to say, sixty thousand goodreasons for receiving no further risks. You envy me my good fortune, butdid we not all start penniless? I have taken care of my money, whileyou have squandered yours. Hortebise has lost his patients, while I haveincreased the number of my clients; and now you want me to tread thedangerous road again. Not I; go your way, and leave me to go home."
Again he took up his hat, but a wave of the hand from Mascarin detainedhim.
"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 or swimtogether."
"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 a girlof 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 confederateswounded his pride so deeply, that in an instant he recovered hisself-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 up tojustice, if you could do so with safety to yourself. I therefore took myprecautions. One thing, however, I was not prepared for, and that was,that a man of your intelligence should have played so paltry a game,and even twelve months back thought of betraying us. It is almostincredible. Do you ever read the _Gazette des Tribunaux_? I saw in itspages yesterday a story nearly similar to your own. Shall I tell it toyou? A lawyer who concealed his vices beneath a mantle of joviality andcandor, brought up from the country a pretty, innocent girl to act asservant in his house. This lawyer occupied his leisure time in leadingthe poor child astray, and the moment at last came when the consequencesof her weakness were too apparent. The lawyer was half beside himself atthe approaching scandal. What would the neighbors say? Well, to cut thestory short, the infant was suppressed,--you understand, suppressed, andthe mother turned into the 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 important moments.
"You give in, do you? Not a bit. Even now you are endeavoring to find ameans 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 the pitinto 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. And whatshawl? Why the very one that you purchased at the _Bon Marche_, when youwere making yourself agreeable to Clarisse. The shopman who sold it toyou has identified it, and is ready to give evidence when called upon.You may look for that shawl, Catenac, but you will not find 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 notbe alarmed; act fairly, and you are safe; but make one treacherous move,and you will read in the next day's papers a paragraph something to thiseffect: 'Yesterday some workmen, engaged in excavations near so-and-so,discovered the body of a new-born infant. Every effort is being madeto discover the author of the crime.' You know me, and that I workpromptly. To the shawl I have added a handkerchief and a few otherarticles belonging to Clariss
e, which will render it an easy matter tofix 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 years, 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 hastened torestore 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, and nowhe is quite enthusiastic in the matter. Of course you can lay aside allfear, and, as a man of the world, will bear no malice against those whohave 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 particularsof which 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 also knowthat instead of coming direct to me you went to the very man that wehave 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 discovery youmay have made, and never give any information to the Duke without firstconsulting 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 no usein 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 the allusionto the Duke de Champdoce.