It was not to save an honor that had already gone, but merely to keep up appearances; for as long as we were nominally together the tongue of scandal was forced to remain silent."
Again the unhappy woman attempted to protest her innocence, and again the Count paid no heed to her. "I wished too," resumed he, "to save some portion of our property, for your insatiable extravagance swallowed up all like a bottomless abyss. At last your trades-people, believing me to be ruined, refused you credit, and this saved me. I had my daughter to think of, and have gathered together a rich dowry for her, and yet----"
he hesitated, and ceased speaking for a moment.
"And yet," repeated Madame de Mussidan.
"I have never kissed her," he burst forth with a fresh and terrible explosion of wrath, "without feeling a hideous doubt as to whether she was really my child."
This was more than the Countess could endure.
"Enough," she cried, "enough! I have been guilty, Octave; but not so guilty as you imagine."
"Why do you venture to defend yourself?"
"Because it is my duty to guard Sabine."
"You should have thought of this earlier," answered the Count with a sneer. "You should have moulded her mind--have taught her what was n.o.ble and good, and have perused the unsullied pages of the book of her young heart."
In the deepest agitation the Countess answered,--
"Ah, Octave, why did you not speak of this sooner, if you knew all; but I will now tell you everything."
By an inconceivable error of judgment the Count corrected her speech.
"Spare us both," said he. "If I have broken through the silence that I have maintained for many a year, it is because I knew that no word you could utter would touch my heart."
Feeling that all hope had fled, Madame de Mussidan fell backward upon the couch, while Sabine, unable to listen to any more terrible revelations, had crept into her own chamber. The Count was about to leave the drawing-room, when a servant entered, bearing a letter on a silver salver. De Mussidan tore it open; it was from M. de Breulh-Faverlay, asking to be released from his engagement to Sabine de Mussidan. This last stroke was almost too much for the Count"s nerves, for in this act he saw the hand of the man who had come to him with such deadly threats, and terror filled his soul as he thought of the far-stretching arm of him whose bondslave he found himself to be; but before he could collect his thoughts, his daughter"s maid went into the room crying with all her might, "Help, help; my poor mistress is dying!"
CHAPTER XIV.
FATHER AND DAUGHTER.
Van Klopen, the man-milliner, knew Paris and its people thoroughly like all tradesmen who are in the habit of giving large credit. He knew all about the business of his customers, and never forgot an item of information when he received one. Thus, when Mascarin spoke to him about the father of the lovely Flavia, whose charms had set the susceptible heart of Paul Violaine in a blaze, the arbiter of fashion had replied,--
"Martin Rigal; yes, I know him; he is a banker." And a banker, indeed, Martin Rigal was, dwelling in a magnificent house in the Rue Montmartre.
The bank was on the ground floor, while his private rooms were in the story above. Though he did not do business in a very large way, yet he was a most respectable man, and his connection was chiefly with the smaller trades-people, who seem to live a strange kind of hand-to-mouth existence, and who might be happy were it not for the constant reappearance of that grim phantom--bills to be met. Nearly all these persons were in the banker"s hands entirely. Martin Rigal used his power despotically and permitted no arguments, and speedily quelled rebellion on the part of any new customer who ventured to object to his arbitrary rules. In the morning the banker was never to be seen, being engaged in his private office, and not a clerk would venture to knock at his door. Even had one done so, no reply would have been returned; for the experiment had been tried, and it was believed that nothing short of an alarm of fire would have brought him out.
The banker was a big man, quite bald, his face was clean shaved, and his little gray eyes twinkled incessantly. His manner was charmingly courteous, and he said the most cruel things in the most honied accents, and invariably escorted to the door the man whom he would sell up the next day. In his dress he affected a fashionable style, much used by the modern school of Shylocks. When not in business, he was a pleasant, and, as some say, a witty companion. He was not looked on as an ascetic, and did not despise those little pleasures which enable us to sustain life"s tortuous journey. He liked a good dinner, and had always a smile ready for a young and attractive face. He was a widower, and all his love was concentrated on his daughter. He did not keep a very extravagant establishment, but the report in the neighborhood was that Mademoiselle Flavia, the daughter of the eminent banker, would one day come into millions. The banker always did his business on foot, for the sake of his health, as he said; but Flavia had a sweet little Victoria, drawn by two thoroughbred horses, to drive in the Bois de Boulogne, under the protection of an old woman, half companion and half servant, who was driven half mad by her charge"s caprices. As yet her father has never denied her anything. He worked harder than all his clerks put together, for, after having spent the morning in his counting house over his papers, he received all business clients.
On the day after Flavia and Paul Violaine had met at Van Klopen"s, M.
Martin Rigal was, at about half-past five, closeted with one of his female clients. She was young, very pretty, and dressed with simple elegance, but the expression of her face was profoundly melancholy.
Her eyes were overflowing with tears, which she made vain efforts to restrain.
"If you refuse to renew our bill, sir, we are ruined," said she. "I could meet it in January. I have sold all my trinkets, and we are existing on credit."
"Poor little thing!" interrupted the banker.
Her hopes grew under these words of pity.
"And yet," continued she, "business has never been so brisk. New customers are constantly coming in, and though our profits are small, the returns are rapid."
As Martin Rigal heard her exposition of the state of affairs, he nodded gravely.
"That is all very well," said he at last, "but this does not make the security you offer me of any more value. I have more confidence in you."
"But remember, sir, that we have thirty thousand francs" worth of stock."
"That is not what I was alluding to," and the banker accompanied these words with so meaning a look, that the poor woman blushed scarlet and almost lost her nerve. "Your stock," said he, "is of no more value in my eyes than the bill you offer me. Suppose, for instance, you were to become bankrupt, the landlord might come down upon everything, for he has great power."
He broke off abruptly, for Flavia"s maid, as a privileged person, entered the room without knocking.
"Sir," said she, "my mistress wishes to see you at once."
The banker got up directly. "I am coming," said he; then, taking the hand of his client, he led her to the door, repeating: "Do not worry yourself; all the difficulties shall be got through. Come again, and we will talk them over;" and before she could thank him he was half way to his daughter"s apartment. Flavia had summoned her father to show him a new costume which had just been sent home by Van Klopen, and which pleased her greatly. Flavia"s costume was a masterpiece of fashionable bad taste, which makes women look all alike and destroys all appearance of individuality. It was a ma.s.s of frills, furbelows, fringes, and flutings of rare hue and form, making a series of wonderful contrasts.
Standing in the middle of the room, with every available candle alight, for the day was fading away, she was so dainty and pretty that even the _bizarre_ dress of Van Klopen"s was unable to spoil her appearance. As she turned round, she caught sight of her father in a mirror, panting with the haste he had made in running upstairs.
"What a time you have been!" said she pettishly.
"I was with a client," returned he apologetically.
"You ought to have got rid of him at once. But never mind that; look at me and tell me plainly what you think of me."
She had no need to put the question, for the most intense admiration beamed in his face.
"Exquisite, delicious, heavenly!" answered he.
Flavia, accustomed as she was to her father"s compliments, was highly delighted. "Then you think that he will like me?" asked she.
She alluded to Paul Violaine, and the banker heaved a deep sigh as he replied,--
"Is it possible that any human being exists that you cannot please?"
"Ah!" mused she, "if it were any one but he, I should have no doubts or misgivings."
Martin Rigal took a seat near the fire, and, drawing his daughter to him, pressed a fond kiss upon her brow, while she with the grace and activity of a cat, nestled upon his knee. "Suppose, after all, that he should not like me," murmured she; "I should die of grief."
The banker turned away his face to hide the gloom that overspread it.
"Do you love him, then, even now?" asked he.
She paused for a moment, and he added, "More than you do me?"
Flavia pressed her father"s hand between both her palms and answered with a musical laugh, "How silly you are, papa! Why, of course I love you. Are you not my father? I love you too because you are kind and do all I wish, and because you are always telling me that you love me.
Because you are like the cupids in the fairy stories--dear old people who give their children all their heart"s desire; I love you for my carriage, my horses, and my lovely dresses; for my purse filled with gold, for my beautiful jewelry, and for all the lovely presents you make me."
Every word she spoke betrayed the utter selfishness of her soul, and yet her father listened with a fixed smile of delight on his face.
"And why do you love him?" asked he.