Secret des Champdoce. English

  CHAPTER XXII.

  A GENTLEMAN IN DIFFICULTIES.

  When Andre had got rid of the young man, and had been ushered into M.Gandelu's presence, the change in the gentleman's appearance struck himwith horror. His eyes were red and swollen as if he had been weeping,but as soon as he caught sight of Andre his face brightened, and hewelcomed him warmly.

  "Oh, it does me good to see you, and I bless the fortunate chance thathas brought you here to-day."

  "It is not a very fortunate chance," answered Andre, as he shook hishead sadly.

  For the first time Gandelu noticed the air of gravity which marked theyoung man, and the shade of sorrow upon his brow.

  "What ails you, Andre?" asked he.

  "A great misfortune is hanging over me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The naked truth and this misfortune may bring death and despair to me."

  "I am your friend, my dear boy," said the old man, "and would gladly beof service to you. Tell me if I can be of any use?"

  "I come to you to-day to ask a favor at your hands."

  "And you thought of the old man, then? I thank you for doing so. Give meyour hand; I like to feel the grasp of an honest man's hand; it warms myheart."

  "It is the secret of my life that I am going to confide to you," saidhe, with some solemnity.

  M. Gandelu made no reply, but struck his clenched fist upon his breast,as though to show that any secret confided to him would be locked up inthe safe security of his heart.

  Then Andre hesitated no longer, and, with the exception of giving names,told the whole story of his love, his ambitions, and his hopes, and gavea clear account of how matters stood.

  "How can I help you?" asked M. Gandelu.

  "Allow me," said Andre, "to hand over the work with which you haveintrusted me to one of my friends. I will retain the responsibility, butwill merely act as one of the workmen. This, to a certain extent, willgive me my liberty, while at the same time I shall be earning a littlemoney, which is just now of vast importance to me."

  "Is that what you call a favor?"

  "Certainly, and a very great one, too."

  Gandelu rose hastily, and, opening an iron safe which stood in onecorner of the room, and taking from it a bundle of banknotes, he placedthem on the table before Andre with an expressive look, which meant,"Take what you desire."

  The unlooked-for kindness of this man, who forgot all his own sorrowsin his anxiety to relieve the necessities of another, affected Andredeeply.

  "I do not need money," began he.

  With a wave of his hand Gandelu inspired silence. "Take these twentythousand francs," said he, "and then I can tell you why I asked you tocome upstairs."

  A refusal would have wounded the old man deeply, and so Andre took theproffered loan.

  Gandelu resumed his seat, and remained in gloomy silence for some time.

  "My dear boy," said he, in a voice broken by emotion, "a day or two backyou saw something of the trouble that I am laboring under. I have nolonger any respect or esteem for that wretched fool, my son, Pierre."

  Andre had already guessed that he had been incensed with reference tosomething connected with Gaston.

  "Your son has behaved very foolishly," said he; "but remember he is veryyoung."

  A sad smile passed over the old man's face.

  "My son is old in vice," replied he. "I have thought the matter overonly too plainly. Yesterday he declared that he would kill himself. Anabsurd threat. Up to this time I have been culpably weak, and it is nouse now to act in an opposite direction. The unhappy boy is infatuatedwith a degraded woman named Rose, and I have had her locked up; but Ihave made up my mind to let her out again, and also to pay his debts. Itis weak folly, I allow; but what am I to do? I am his father after all;and while I cannot respect her, I must love him. He has almost broken myheart, but it was his to do as he liked with."

  Andre made no reply, and Gandelu went on.

  "I have not deceived myself; my son is ruined. I can but stand byand wait for the end. If this Rose is not everything that is bad, herinfluence may be of some use to him. But I want some one to undertakethese negotiations, and I had hopes, Andre, that you would have beenable to do so."

  Andre felt that all his efforts ought to be devoted to the interests ofSabine, but at the same time he could not leave the kind old man to themercy of others, and by a display of absolute heroism he determined toaccede to the broken-hearted father's desires and briefly told him thathe was at his service. Gandelu thanked him warmly, and Andre seatinghimself at the table, the two men entered into a long discussion as tothe best means to be adopted. It was finally decided that Andre shouldact with freedom and according to his own instincts, and that M. Gandelushould, to actual appearance, remain firm in the course he had enteredupon, and should only be induced, by Andre's intercession, to adoptmilder measures. The result justified their anticipations, for Gastonwas even more crushed and downcast than Andre had imagined, and it wasin an agony of suspense that he awaited the return of the young painter.As soon as he saw him descending the steps he sprang forward to greethim.

  "Well," said he, in a tone of eager inquiry.

  "Your father," returned Andre, "is terribly angry with you, but I hopeto be able to induce him to do something for you."

  "Will he set Zora at liberty?"

  "Perhaps he will; but first he must have something more from you thanpromises--he must have stable guarantees."

  At these words Gaston's face fell. "Guarantees," answered he sulkily."Is not my word of honor enough? What sort of guarantees does herequire?"

  "That I cannot tell you, and you must find out for yourself; but I willdo all I can for you."

  Gaston gazed upon Andre in surprise.

  "Do you mean to tell me," asked he, "that you can do pretty well whatyou like with the governor?"

  "Not exactly; but surely you can see that I have a good deal ofinfluence over him. If you want a proof of this, see, here is the moneyto take up these bills you told me of."

  "What, Verminet's?"

  "I suppose so. I am speaking of those to which you were mad enough toforge another man's name."

  Foolish as the boy was, this act of his had caused him many a sleeplessnight, and he had reflected very often how he could possibly escape fromthe consequence of his act of rashness.

  "Give me the money," cried he.

  Andre shook his head, however. "Forgive me," said he, "but this moneydoes not quit my hand until the bills are handed over to me. Yourfather's orders on this point are decided; but the sooner we settle theaffair the better."

  "That is too bad; the governor is as sly as a fox; but he must have hisown way, I suppose, so come on. Only just wait till I slip on a coatmore suitable to my position than this lounging suit."

  He rushed away, and was back again in ten minutes as neat as a new pin,and full of gayety and good spirits.

  "We can walk," said he, putting his arm through Andre's. "We have to goto the Rue St. Anne."

  Verminet had his office in this street--the office of the Mutual LoanSociety, of which he was the managing director. The house, in spite ofits grandiloquent title, was of excessively shabby exterior. The MutualLoan Society was frequented by those who, having lost their credit,wished to obtain a fresh amount, and who, having no money, wanted toborrow some.

  Verminet's plan of financial operations was perfectly simple. Atradesman on the verge of bankruptcy would come to him, Verminet wouldlook into his case and make him sign bills for the sum he required,handing him in exchange bills drawn by other tradesman in quite asserious a predicament as himself, and pocketed a commission of two percent. upon both the transactions. Verminet obtained clients from thesimple fact that an embarrassed tradesman is utterly reckless, cares notwhat he signs, and will clutch at a straw to keep his head above water.But there were many other transactions carried on at the office of theMutual Loan Society, for its largest means of income was drawn from evenless respectable sources, and it
was alleged that many of these bogusbills which are occasionally cashed by some respectable bankers weremanufactured there. At any rate, Verminet managed to make money somehow.