第100章

"Yes; Beauseant--Beauvisage; only a termination to change.Ah! my dear fellow, you don't know what these provincial fortunes are, accumulated penny by penny, especially when to the passion for saving is added the incessant aspiration of that leech called commerce.We must make up our minds to some course; the bourgeoisie are rising round us like a flood; it is almost affable in them to buy our chateaus and estates when they might guillotine us as in 1793, and get them for nothing.""Happily for you, my dear Maxime, you have reduced the number of your chateaus and estates.""You see yourself that is not so," replied Maxime, "inasmuch as I am now engaged in providing myself with one.The Beauseant house is to be repaired and refurnished immediately, and I am charged with the ordering of the work.But I have made my future mother-in-law another promise, and I want your help, my dear fellow, in fulfilling it.""It isn't a tobacco license, or a stamped-paper office, is it?""No, something less difficult.These damned women, when hatred or a desire for vengeance takes possession of them, are marvels of instinct; and Madame Beauvisage, who roars like a lioness at the very name of Sallenauve, has taken it into her head that beneath his incomprehensible success there is some foul intrigue or mystery.It is certain that the appearance and disappearance of this mysterious father have given rise to very singular conjectures; and probably if the thumb-screws were put upon the organist, who was, they say, entrusted with the education of the interesting bastard, we might get the secret of his birth and possibly other unexpected revelations.Now I have thought of a man on whom you have, I believe, great influence, who might in this hunt for facts assist us immensely.Don't you remember the robbery of those jewels from Jenny Cardine, about which she was so unhappy one night at Very's? You asked the waiter for pens and paper, and on a simple note which you sent at three o'clock in the morning to a Monsieur Saint-Esteve the police went to work, and before the evening of the next day the thieves were captured and the jewels restored.""Yes," said the colonel, "I remember all that; my interference was lucky.But I must tell you that had I paused to reflect I should not have treated Monsieur de Saint-Esteve so cavalierly.He is a man to be approached with greater ceremony.""Ah ca! but isn't he a former galley-slave, whose pardon you helped to obtain, and who feels for you the veneration they say Fieschi felt for one of his protectors?""Yes, that is true.Monsieur de Saint-Esteve, like his predecessor, Bibi-Lupin, has had misfortunes; but he is to-day the head of the detective police, the important functions of which office he fulfils with rare capacity.If the matter concerned anything that comes within his department, I should not hesitate to give you a letter to him; but the affair you speak of is delicate; and in any case I must first sound him and see if he is willing to talk with you.""I thought you managed him despotically.Let us say no more about it, if you think it so very difficult.""The greatest difficulty is that I never see him; and I naturally cannot write to him for such an object.I should have to watch for an occasion, a chance meeting.But why don't you speak of this to Rastignac? He could give him an order to act at once.""Don't you understand that Rastignac will receive me very ill indeed?

I had assured him, by letter, of success, and now I am forced to report in person our defeat.Besides, on every account, I would rather owe this service to your friendship.""Well, it sha'n't fail you," said the colonel, rising."I'll do my best to satisfy you; only, there must be a delay."The visit had lasted long, and Maxime felt that a hint was given him to abridge it.He therefore took leave, putting into his manner a certain coldness which the colonel appeared not to notice.

No sooner had Monsieur de Trailles departed than Franchessini opened a pack of cards and took out the knave of spades.This he cut up in a curious manner, leaving the figure untouched.Placing this species of hieroglyphic between two sheets of paper, he consigned it to an envelope.On this envelope and disguising his hand the colonel wrote as follows:--Monsieur de Saint-Esteve, rue Saint-Anne, near the Quai des Orfevres.

That done, he rang the bell and gave orders to put up his carriage, which he had ordered before Maxime's arrival; after which he went out alone on foot, and threw his singular missive into the first street letter-box that he passed.He had taken care, before he left the house, to see if it were properly sealed.