XIII
Mme. Favoral spoke from experience. She had learned, to her cost,that the whistle of her husband, more surely than the shriek of thestormy petrel, announces the storm.--And she had that evening morereasons than usual to fear. Breaking from all his habits, M. Favoralhad not come home to dinner, and had sent one of the clerks of theMutual Credit Society to say that they should not wait for him.
Soon his latch-key grated in the lock; the door swung open; he camein; and, seeing his son:
"Well, I am glad to find you here," he exclaimed with a giggle, whichwith him was the utmost expression of anger.
Mme. Favoral shuddered. Still under the impression of the scenewhich had just taken place, his heart heavy, and his eyes full oftears, Maxence did not answer.
"It is doubtless a wager," resumed the father, "and you wish to knowhow far my patience may go."
"I do not understand you," stammered the young man.
"The money that you used to get, I know not where, doubtless failsyou now, or at least is no longer sufficient, and you go on makingdebts right and left--at the tailor's, the shirt maker's, thejeweler's. Of course, it's simple enough. We earn nothing; butwe wish to dress in the latest style, to wear a gold chain acrossour vest, and then we make dupes."
"I have never made any dupes, father."
"Bah! And what, then, do you call all these people who came thisvery day to present me their bills? For they did dare to come tomy office! They had agreed to come together, expecting thus tointimidate me more easily. I told them that you were of age, andthat your business was none of mine. Hearing this, they becameinsolent, and commenced speaking so loud, that their voices couldbe heard in the adjoining rooms. At that very moment, the manager,M. de Thaller, happened to be passing through the hall. Hearingthe noise of a discussion, he thought that I was having somedifficulty with some of our stockholders, and he came in, as hehad a right to. Then I was compelled to confess everything."
He became excited at the sound of his words, like a horse at thejingle of his bells. And, more and more beside himself:
"That is just what your creditors wished," he pursued. "Theythought I would be afraid of a row, and that I would 'come down.'It is a system of blackmailing, like any other. An account isopened to some young rascal; and, when the amount is reasonablylarge, they take it to the family, saying, 'Money, or I make row.'Do you think it is to you, who are penniless, that they give credit?It's on my pocket that they were drawing,--on my pocket, becausethey believed me rich. They sold you at exorbitant prices everything they wished; and they relied on me to pay for trousers atninety francs, shirts at forty francs, and watches at six hundredfrancs."
Contrary to his habit, Maxence did not offer any denial.
"I expect to pay all I owe," he said.
"You!"
"I give my word I will!"
"And with what, pray?"
"With my salary."
"You have a salary, then?"
Maxence blushed.
"I have what I earn at my employer's."
"What employer?"
"The architect in whose office M. Chapelain helped me to find aplace."
With a threatening gesture, M. Favoral interrupted him.
"Spare me your lies," he uttered. "I am better posted than yousuppose. I know, that, over a month ago, your employer, tired ofyour idleness, dismissed you in disgrace."
Disgrace was superfluous. The fact was, that Maxence, returningto work after an absence of five days, had found another in hisplace.
"I shall find another place," he said.
M. Favoral shrugged his shoulders with a movement of rage.
"And in the mean time," he said, "I shall have to pay. Do you knowwhat your creditors threaten to do?--to commence a suit against me.They would lose it, of course, they know it; but they hope that Iwould yield before a scandal. And this is not all: they talk ofentering a criminal complaint. They pretend that you haveaudaciously swindled them; that the articles you purchased of themwere not at all for your own use, but that you sold them as fast asyou got them, at any price you could obtain, to raise ready money.The jeweler has proofs, he says, that you went straight from hisshop to the pawnbroker's, and pledged a watch and chain which hehad just sold you. It is a police matter. They said all that inpresence of my superior officer--in presence of M. de Thaller. Ihad to get the janitor to put them out. But, after they had left,M. de Thaller gave me to understand that he wished me very much tosettle everything. And he is right. My consideration could notresist another such scene. What confidence can be placed in acashier whose son behaves in this manner? How can a key of a safecontaining millions be left with a man whose son would have beendragged into the police-courts? In a word, I am at your mercy.In a word, my honor, my position, my fortune, rest upon you. Asoften as it may please you to make debts, you can make them, andI shall be compelled to pay."
Gathering all his courage:
"You have been sometimes very harsh with me, father," commencedMaxence; "and yet I will not try to justify my conduct. I swear toyou, that hereafter you shall have nothing to fear from me."
"I fear nothing," uttered M. Favoral with a sinister smile. "Iknow the means of placing myself beyond the reach of your follies--and I shall use them."
"I assure you, father, that I have taken a firm resolution."
"Oh! you may dispense with your periodical repentance."
Mlle. Gilberte stepped forward.
"I'll stand warrant," she said, "for Maxence's resolutions."
Her father did not permit her to proceed.
"Enough," he interrupted somewhat harshly. "Mind your own business,Gilberte! I have to speak to you too."
"To me, father?"
"Yes."
He walked up and down three or four times through the parlor, as ifto calm his irritation. Then planting himself straight before hisdaughter, his arms folded across his breast:
"You are eighteen years of age," he said; "that is to say, it istime to think of your marriage. An excellent match offers itself."
She shuddered, stepped back, and, redder than a peony:
"A match!" she repeated in a tone of immense surprise.
"Yes, and which suits me."
"But I do not wish to marry, father."
"All young girls say the same thing; and, as soon as a pretenderoffers himself, they are delighted. Mine is a fellow of twenty-six,quite good looking, amiable, witty, and who has had the greatestsuccess in society."
"Father, I assure you that I do not wish to leave mother."
"Of course not. He is an intelligent, hard-working man, destined,everybody says, to make an immense fortune. Although he is richalready, for he holds a controlling interest in a stock-broker'sfirm, he works as hard as any poor devil. I would not be surprisedto hear that he makes half a million of francs a year. His wifewill have her carriage, her box at the opera, diamonds, and dressesas handsome as Mlle. de Thaller's."
"Eh! What do I care for such things?"
"It's understood. I'll present him to you on Saturday."
But Mlle. Gilberte was not one of those young girls who allowthemselves, through weakness or timidity, to become engaged, and sofar engaged, that later, they can no longer withdraw. A discussionbeing unavoidable, she preferred to have it out at once.
"A presentation is absolutely useless, father," she declaredresolutely.
"Because?"
"I have told you that I did not wish to marry."
"But if it is my will?"
"I am ready to obey you in every thing except that."
"In that as in every thing else," interrupted the cashier of theMutual Credit in a thundering voice.
And, casting upon his wife and children a glance full of defianceand threats:
"In that, as in every thing else," he repeated, "because I am themaster; and I shall prove it. Yes, I will prove it; for I am tiredto see my family leagued against my authority."
And out h
e went, slamming the door so violently, that the partitionsshook.
"You are wrong to resist your father thus," murmured the weak Mme.Favoral.
The fact is, that the poor woman could not understand why herdaughter refused the only means at her command to break off withher miserable existence.
"Let him present you this young man," she said. "You might likehim."
"I am sure I shall not like him."
She said this in such a tone, that the light suddenly flashed uponMme. Favoral's mind.
"Heavens!" she murmured. "Gilberte, my darling child, have you thena secret which your mother does not know?"