CHAPTER XX
THE SCHEMERS
Mr. Bendit's office which Perrine occupied was a tiny place whose solefurniture consisted of a table and two chairs, a bookcase in blackwood,and a map of the world.
Yet with its polished pine floor, and a window with its red and whiteshade, it appeared very bright to Perrine. Not only was the officeassigned to her cheerful, but she found that by leaving the door openshe could see and occasionally hear what was going on in the otheroffices.
Monsieur Vulfran's nephews, Theodore and Casimir, had their rooms on theright and on the left of his; after theirs came the counting house, thenlastly, there was Fabry, the engineer's, office. This one was oppositehers. Fabry's office was a large room where several draughtsmen werestanding up before their drawings, arranged on high inclined desks.
Having nothing to do and not liking to take M. Bendit's chair, Perrinetook a seat by the door. She opened one of the dictionaries which werethe only kind of books the office contained. She would have preferredanything else but she had to be contented with what was there.
The hours passed slowly, but at last the bell rang for luncheon. Perrinewas one of the first to go out. On the way she was joined by Fabry andMombleux. They also were going to Mother Francoise's house.
"So then you are a comrade of ours, Mademoiselle," said Mombleux, whohad not forgotten his humiliation at Saint-Pipoy, and he wanted to makethe one who was the cause of it pay for it.
She felt the sarcasm of his words and for a moment she was disconcerted,but she recovered herself quickly.
"No, Monsieur," she said quietly, "not of yours but of William's."
The tone of her reply evidently pleased the engineer, for turning toPerrine he gave her an encouraging smile.
"But if you are replacing Mr. Bendit?" said Mombleux obstinately.
"Say that Mademoiselle is keeping his job for him," retorted Fabry.
"It's the same thing," answered Mombleux.
"Not at all, for in a week or two, when he'll be better, he'll come backin his old place. He certainly would not have had it if Mademoiselle hadnot been here to keep it for him."
"It seems to me that you and I also have helped to keep it for him,"said Mombleux.
"Yes, but this little girl has done her share; he'll have to be gratefulto all three of us," said Fabry, smiling again at Perrine.
If she had misunderstood the sense of Mombleux's words, the way in whichshe was treated at Mother Francoise's would have enlightened her. Herplace was not set at the boarders' table as it would have been if shehad been considered their equal, but at a little table at the side. Andshe was served after everyone else had taken from the dishes what theyrequired.
But that did not hurt her; what did it matter to her if she were servedfirst or last, and if the best pieces had already been taken. Whatinterested her was that she was placed near enough to them to hear theirconversation. She hoped that what she heard might guide her as to howshe should act in the midst of the difficulties which confronted her.
These men knew the habits of M. Vulfran, his nephews, and Talouel, ofwhom she stood so much in fear; a word from them would enlighten her andshe might be shown a danger which she did not even suspect, and if shewas aware of it she could avoid it. She would not spy upon them. Shewould not listen at doors. When they were speaking they knew that theywere not alone. So she need have no scruples but could profit by theirremarks.
Unfortunately on that particular morning they said nothing thatinterested her; their talk was on insignificant matters. As soon as shehad finished her meal she hurried to Rosalie, for she wanted to know howM. Vulfran had discovered that she had only slept one night at hergrandmother's house.
"It was that Skinny who came here while you were at Picquigny," saidRosalie, "and he got Aunt Zenobie to talk about you; and you bet itisn't hard to make Aunt Zenobie talk especially when she gets somethingfor doing so. She told him that you had spent only one night here andall sorts of other things besides."
"What other things?"
"I don't know because I was not there, but you can imagine the worst,but fortunately it has not turned out badly for you."
"No, on the contrary it has turned out very well, because M. Vulfran wasamused and interested when I told him my story."
"I'll tell Aunt Zenobie, that'll make her mad."
"Oh, don't put her against me."
"Put her against you; oh, there's no danger of that now. She knows theposition that M. Vulfran has given you, you won't have a better friend... seemingly. You'll see tomorrow. Only if you don't want that Skinnyto know your business, don't tell anything to her."
"That I won't."
"Oh, she's sly enough."
"Yes, but now you've warned me...."
At three o'clock as arranged, M. Vulfran rang for Perrine and they droveoff in the phaeton to make the customary round of the factories, for hedid not let a single day pass without visiting the different buildings.
Although he could not see he could at least be seen, and when he gavehis orders it was difficult to believe that he was blind; he seemed toknow everything that was going on.
That day they began at the village of Flexelles. They stayed some timein the building and when they came out William was not to be seen. Thehorse was tied to a tree and William, the coachman, had disappeared. Assoon as his employer had gone into his factories, William of course, asusual, had hurried to the nearest wine shop ... meeting a boon companionthere he had forgotten the hour.
M. Vulfran sent one of his men off to search for his recalcitrantcoachman. After waiting several minutes, the blind man became veryangry. Finally William, with head held high, came staggering along.
"I can tell by the sound of his footsteps that he is drunk, Benoist,"said M. Vulfran, addressing his manager, who stood beside him. "I amright, am I not?"
"Yes, sir ... nothing can be hidden from you. He is drunk...."
William began to apologize.
"I've just come from...." he began, but his employer cut him short.
"That is enough," said M. Vulfran, sternly. "I can tell by your breathand the way you walk that you are drunk."
"I was just going to say, sir," began William again, as he untied thehorse, but at that moment he dropped the whip and stooping down, hetried three times to grasp it. The manager looked grave.
"I think it would be better if I drove you to Maraucourt," he said. "Iam afraid you would not be safe with William."
"Why so?" demanded William insolently.
"Silence," commanded M. Vulfran, in a tone that admitted of no reply."From this moment you can consider yourself dismissed from my service."
"But, sir, I was going to say...."
With an uplifted motion of his hand M. Vulfran stopped him and turned tohis manager.
"Thank you, Benoist," he said, "but I think this little girl can driveme home. Coco is as quiet as a lamb, and she can well replace thisdrunken creature."
He was assisted into the carriage, and Perrine took her place besidehim. She was very grave, for she felt the responsibility of her position.
"Not too quickly," said M. Vulfran, when she touched Coco with the endof her whip.
"Oh, please, sir, I don't want to go quickly, I assure you," she said,nervously.
"That's a good thing; let her just trot."
There was a great surprise in the streets of Maraucourt when thevillagers saw the head of the firm seated beside a little girl wearing ahat of black straw and a black dress, who was gravely driving old Cocoat a straight trot instead of the zigzag course that William forced theold animal to take in spite of herself. What was happening? Where wasthis little girl going? They questioned one another as they stood at thedoors, for few people in the village knew of her and of the positionthat M. Vulfran had given her.
When they arrived at Mother Francoise's house, Aunt Zenobie was leaningover the gate talking to two women. When she caught sight of Perrine shestared in amazement, but her look of astonishment was quickly fol
lowedby her best smile, the smile of a real friend.
"Good day, Monsieur Vulfran! Good day, Mademoiselle Aurelie!" she calledout.
As soon as the carriage had passed she told her neighbors how she hadprocured the fine position for the young girl who had been their boarder.She had recommended her so highly to Skinny.
"She's a nice girl, though," she added, "and she'll not forget what sheowes us. She owes it all to us."
If the villagers had been surprised to see Perrine driving M. Vulfran,Talouel was absolutely stunned.
"Where is William?" he cried, hurrying down the steps of the veranda tomeet his employer.
"Sent off for continual drunkenness," said M. Vulfran, smiling.
"I had supposed that you would take this step eventually," said Talouel.
"Exactly," replied his employer briefly.
Talouel had established his power in the house by these two words, "Isuppose." His aim was to persuade his chief that he was so devoted tohis interests that he was able to foresee every wish that he might have.So he usually began with these words, "I suppose that you want...."
He had the subtlety of the peasant, always on the alert, and his qualityfor spying made him stop at nothing to get the information he desired.M. Vulfran usually made the same reply when Talouel had "supposed"something.
"Exactly," the blind man would say.
"And I suppose you find," continued Talouel, as he helped his employerto get down, "that the one who has replaced him deserves your trust?"
"Exactly," said the blind man again.
"I'm not astonished," added the crafty Talouel. "The day when Rosaliebrought her here I thought there was something in her, and I was sureyou would soon find that out."
As he spoke he looked at Perrine, and his look plainly said: "Yousee what I've done for you. Don't forget it, and be ready to do mea service."
A demand of payment on this order was not long in coming.
A little later, stopping before the door of the office in which Perrinesat, he said in a low voice from the doorway:
"Tell me what happened with William."
Perrine thought that if she frankly replied to his question she wouldnot be revealing any serious matter, so she related exactly what hadoccurred.
"Ah, good," he said, more at ease. "Now, if he should come to me andask to be taken back I'll settle with him."
Later on Fabry and Mombleux put the same question to her, for everyonenow knew that little Perrine had had to drive the chief home because hiscoachman had been too drunk to hold the reins.
"It's a miracle that he hasn't upset the boss a dozen times," saidFabry, "for he drives like a crazy creature when he's drunk. He shouldhave been sent off long ago."
"Yes, and he would have been," said Mombleux, smiling, "if certain oneswho wanted his help had not done all they could to keep him."
Perrine became all attention.
"They'll make a face when they see that he's gone, but I'll give Williamhis due: he didn't know that he was spying."
They were silent while Zenobie came in to change the plates. They hadnot thought that the pretty little girl in the corner was listening totheir conversation. After Zenobie had left the room they went on withtheir talk.
"But what if the son returns?" asked Mombleux.
"Well, most of us want him back, for the old man's getting old," saidFabry; "but perhaps he's dead."
"That might be," agreed Mombleux. "Talouel's so ambitious he'd stop atnothing. He wants to own the place, and he'll get it if he can."
"Yes, and who knows? Maybe he had a hand in keeping M. Edmond away.Neither of us were here at the time, but you might be sure that Talouelwould work out things to his own interests."
"I hadn't thought of that."
"Yes, and at that time he didn't know that there'd be others to take theplace of M. Edmond. I'm not sure what he's scheming to get, but it'ssomething big."
"Yes, and he's doing some dirty work for sure, and only think, when hewas twenty years old he couldn't write his own name."
Rosalie came into the room at this moment and asked Perrine if she wouldlike to go on an errand with her. Perrine could not refuse. She hadfinished her dinner some time ago, and if she remained in her corner shewould soon awaken their suspicions.
It was a quiet evening. The people sat at their street doors chatting.After Rosalie had finished her errand she wanted to go from one door toanother to gossip, but Perrine had no desire for this, and she excusedherself on the plea of being tired. She did not want to go to bed. Shejust wanted to be alone, to think, in her little room, with the doorclosed. She wanted to take a clear account of the situation in which shenow found herself.
When she heard Fabry and Mombleux speaking of the manager she realizedhow much she had to fear this man. He had given her to understand thathe was the master, and as such it was his right to be informed of allthat happened. But all that was nothing compared with what had beenrevealed to her in the conversation that she had just heard.
She knew that he wished to exercise his authority over everyone. But shehad not known that his ambition was to take her grandfather's place someday. This man was scheming to replace the all-powerful master of theMaraucourt factories; for years he had plotted with this object in view.All this she had just learned. The two men whose conversation she hadoverheard were in a position to know the facts. And this terrible man,now that she had replaced William, intended that she should spy upon hisemployer.
What should she do? She was only a little girl, almost a child, andthere was no one to protect her. What should she do?
She had asked herself this question before, but under differentcircumstances. It was impossible for her to lie down, so nervous andexcited was she at what she had heard.
Perhaps this dreadful man had schemed to keep her dear dead father awayfrom his home, and he was still working in an underhanded way for what?Was he trying to get out of the way the two nephews who would replacehis master? If he had the power to do this, what might he not do to herif she refused to spy for him?
She spent the greater part of the night turning these questions over inher little head. At last, tired out with the difficulties whichconfronted her, she dropped her curly head on the pillow and slept.