第51章

Mme.Camusot and her supposed lover found old Blondet in his green-house.He greeted his colleague's wife and her companion, and gave the charming young man a keen, uneasy glance.

"I have the honor to introduce one of my husband's cousins," said Mme.

Camusot, bringing forward the Duchess; "he is one of the most distinguished horticulturists in Paris; and as he cannot spend more than one day with us, on his way back from Brittany, and has heard of your flowers and plants, I have taken the liberty of coming early.""Oh, the gentleman is a horticulturist, is he?" said the old Blondet.

The Duchess bowed.

"This is my coffee-plant," said Blondet, "and here is a tea-plant.""What can have taken M.le President away from home?" put in Mme.

Camusot."I will wager that his absence concerns M.Camusot.""Exactly.--This, monsieur, is the queerest of all cactuses," he continued, producing a flower-pot which appeared to contain a piece of mildewed rattan; "it comes from Australia.You are very young, sir, to be a horticulturist.""Dear M.Blondet, never mind your flowers," said Mme.Camusot."YOUare concerned, you and your hopes, and your son's marriage with Mlle.

Blandureau.You are duped by the President."

"Bah!" said old Blondet, with an incredulous air.

"Yes," retorted she."If you cultivated people a little more and your flowers a little less, you would know that the dowry and the hopes you have sown, and watered, and tilled, and weeded are on the point of being gathered now by cunning hands.""Madame!----"

"Oh, nobody in the town will have the courage to fly in the President's face and warn you.I, however, do not belong to the town, and, thanks to this obliging young man, I shall soon be going back to Paris; so I can inform you that Chesnel's successor has made formal proposals for Mlle.Claire Blandureau's hand on behalf of young du Ronceret, who is to have fifty thousand crowns from his parents.As for Fabien, he has made up his mind to receive a call to the bar, so as to gain an appointment as judge."Old Blondet dropped the flower-pot which he had brought out for the Duchess to see.

"Oh, my cactus! Oh, my son! and Mlle.Blandureau!...Look here! the cactus flower is broken to pieces.""No," Mme.Camusot answered, laughing; "everything can be put right.

If you have a mind to see your son a judge in another month, we will tell you how you must set to work----""Step this way, sir, and you will see my pelargoniums, an enchanting sight while they are in flower----" Then he added to Mme.Camusot, "Why did you speak of these matters while your cousin was present.""All depends upon him," riposted Mme.Camusot."Your son's appointment is lost for ever if you let fall a word about this young man.""Bah!"

"The young man is a flower----"

"Ah!"

"He is the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse, sent here by His Majesty to save young d'Esgrignon, whom they arrested yesterday on a charge of forgery brought against him by du Croisier.Mme.la Duchesse has authority from the Keeper of the Seals; he will ratify any promises that she makes to us----""My cactus is all right!" exclaimed Blondet, peering at his precious plant.--"Go on, I am listening.""Take counsel with Camusot and Michu to hush up the affair as soon as possible, and your son will get the appointment.It will come in time enough to baffle du Ronceret's underhand dealings with the Blandureaus.Your son will be something better than assistant judge;he will have M.Camusot's post within the year.The public prosecutor will be here today.M.Sauvager will be obliged to resign, I expect, after his conduct in this affair.At the court my husband will show you documents which completely exonerate the Count and prove that the forgery was a trap of du Croisier's own setting."Old Blondet went into the Olympic circus where his six thousand pelargoniums stood, and made his bow to the Duchess.

"Monsieur," said he, "if your wishes do not exceed the law, this thing may be done.""Monsieur," returned the Duchess, "send in your resignation to M.

Chesnel to-morrow, and I will promise you that your son shall be appointed within the week; but you must not resign until you have had confirmation of my promise from the public prosecutor.You men of law will come to a better understanding among yourselves.Only let him know that the Duchesse de Maufrigneuse had pledged her word to you.

And not a word as to my journey hither," she added.

The old judge kissed her hand and began recklessly to gather his best flowers for her.

"Can you think of it? Give them to madame," said the Duchess."A young man should not have flowers about him when he has a pretty woman on his arm.""Before you go down to the court," added Mme.Camusot, "ask Chesnel's successor about those proposals that he made in the name of M.and Mme.du Ronceret."Old Blondet, quite overcome by this revelation of the President's duplicity, stood planted on his feet by the wicket gate, looking after the two women as they hurried away through by-streets home again.The edifice raised so painfully during ten years for his beloved son was crumbling visibly before his eyes.Was it possible? He suspected some trick, and hurried away to Chesnel's successor.

At half-past nine, before the court was sitting, Vice-President Blondet, Camusot, and Michu met with remarkable punctuality in the council chamber.Blondet locked the door with some precautions when Camusot and Michu came in together.

"Well, Mr.Vice-President," began Michu, "M.Sauvager, without consulting the public prosecutor, has issued a warrant for the apprehension of one Comte d'Esgrignon, in order to serve a grudge borne against him by one du Croisier, an enemy of the King's government.It is a regular topsy-turvy affair.The President, for his part, goes away, and thereby puts a stop to the preliminary examination! And we know nothing of the matter.Do they, by any chance, mean to force our hand?""This is the first word I have heard of it," said the Vice-President.