It was impossible for them to get access to him.
Frederick examined the newspapers to try to find out what had become of him, and for three weeks he was a constant visitor at the reading-rooms.
One day several numbers of the _Flambard_ fell into his hands. The leading article was invariably devoted to cutting up some distinguished man. After that came some society gossip and some scandals. Then there were some chaffing observations about the Odeon Carpentras, pisciculture, and prisoners under sentence of death, when there happened to be any. The disappearance of a packet-boat furnished materials for a whole year"s jokes. In the third column a picture-canva.s.ser, under the form of anecdotes or advice, gave some tailors" announcements, together with accounts of evening parties, advertis.e.m.e.nts as to auctions, and a.n.a.lysis of artistic productions, writing in the same strain about a volume of verse and a pair of boots. The only serious portion of it was the criticism of the small theatres, in which fierce attacks were made on two or three managers; and the interests of art were invoked on the subjects of the decorations of the Rope-dancers" Gymnasium and of the actress who played the part of the heroine at the Dela.s.s.e.m.e.nts.
Frederick was pa.s.sing over all these items when his eyes alighted on an article ent.i.tled "A La.s.s between three Lads." It was the story of his duel related in a lively Gallic style. He had no difficulty in recognising himself, for he was indicated by this little joke, which frequently recurred: "A young man from the College of Sens who has no sense." He was even represented as a poor devil from the provinces, an obscure b.o.o.by trying to rub against persons of high rank. As for the Vicomte, he was made to play a fascinating part, first by having forced his way into the supper-room, then by having carried off the lady, and, finally, by having behaved all through like a perfect gentleman.
Frederick"s courage was not denied exactly, but it was pointed out that an intermediary--the _protector_ himself--had come on the scene just in the nick of time. The entire article concluded with this phrase, pregnant perhaps with sinister meaning:
"What is the cause of their affection? A problem! and, as Bazile says, who the deuce is it that is deceived here?"
This was, beyond all doubt, Hussonnet"s revenge against Frederick for having refused him five thousand francs.
What was he to do? If he demanded an explanation from him, the Bohemian would protest that he was innocent, and nothing would be gained by doing this. The best course was to swallow the affront in silence. n.o.body, after all, read the _Flambard_.
As he left the reading-room, he saw some people standing in front of a picture-dealer"s shop. They were staring at the portrait of a woman, with this fine traced underneath in black letters: "Mademoiselle Rosanette Bron, belonging to M. Frederick Moreau of Nogent."
It was indeed she--or, at least, like her--her full face displayed, her bosom uncovered, with her hair hanging loose, and with a purse of red velvet in her hands, while behind her a peac.o.c.k leaned his beak over her shoulder, covering the wall with his immense plumage in the shape of a fan.
Pellerin had got up this exhibition in order to compel Frederick to pay, persuaded that he was a celebrity, and that all Paris, roused to take his part, would be interested in this wretched piece of work.
Was this a conspiracy? Had the painter and the journalist prepared their attack on him at the same time?
His duel had not put a stop to anything. He had become an object of ridicule, and everyone had been laughing at him.
Three days afterwards, at the end of June, the Northern shares having had a rise of fifteen francs, as he had bought two thousand of them within the past month, he found that he had made thirty thousand francs by them. This caress of fortune gave him renewed self-confidence. He said to himself that he wanted n.o.body"s help, and that all his embarra.s.sments were the result of his timidity and indecision. He ought to have begun his intrigue with the Marechale with brutal directness and refused Hussonnet the very first day. He should not have compromised himself with Pellerin. And, in order to show that he was not a bit embarra.s.sed, he presented himself at one of Madame Dambreuse"s ordinary evening parties.
In the middle of the anteroom, Martinon, who had arrived at the same time as he had, turned round:
"What! so you are visiting here?" with a look of surprise, and as if displeased at seeing him.
"Why not?"
And, while asking himself what could be the cause of such a display of hostility on Martinon"s part, Frederick made his way into the drawing-room.
The light was dim, in spite of the lamps placed in the corners, for the three windows, which were wide open, made three large squares of black shadow stand parallel with each other. Under the pictures, flower-stands occupied, at a man"s height, the s.p.a.ces on the walls, and a silver teapot with a samovar cast their reflections in a mirror on the background. There arose a murmur of hushed voices. Pumps could be heard creaking on the carpet. He could distinguish a number of black coats, then a round table lighted up by a large shaded lamp, seven or eight ladies in summer toilets, and at some little distance Madame Dambreuse in a rocking armchair. Her dress of lilac taffeta had slashed sleeves, from which fell muslin puffs, the charming tint of the material harmonising with the shade of her hair; and she sat slightly thrown back with the tip of her foot on a cushion, with the repose of an exquisitely delicate work of art, a flower of high culture.
M. Dambreuse and an old gentleman with a white head were walking from one end of the drawing-room to the other. Some of the guests chatted here and there, sitting on the edges of little sofas, while the others, standing up, formed a circle in the centre of the apartment.
They were talking about votes, amendments, counter-amendments, M.
Grandin"s speech, and M. Benoist"s reply. The third party had decidedly gone too far. The Left Centre ought to have had a better recollection of its origin. Serious attacks had been made on the ministry. It must be rea.s.suring, however, to see that it had no successor. In short, the situation was completely a.n.a.logous to that of 1834.
As these things bored Frederick, he drew near the ladies. Martinon was beside them, standing up, with his hat under his arm, showing himself in three-quarter profile, and looking so neat that he resembled a piece of Sevres porcelain. He took up a copy of the _Revue des Deux Mondes_ which was lying on the table between an _Imitation_ and an _Almanach de Gotha_, and spoke of a distinguished poet in a contemptuous tone, said he was going to the "conferences of Saint-Francis," complained of his larynx, swallowed from time to time a pellet of gummatum, and in the meantime kept talking about music, and played the part of the elegant trifler. Mademoiselle Cecile, M. Dambreuse"s niece, who happened to be embroidering a pair of ruffles, gazed at him with her pale blue eyes; and Miss John, the governess, who had a flat nose, laid aside her tapestry on his account. Both of them appeared to be exclaiming internally:
"How handsome he is!"
Madame Dambreuse turned round towards him.
"Please give me my fan which is on that pier-table over there. You are taking the wrong one! "tis the other!"
She arose, and when he came across to her, they met in the middle of the drawing-room face to face. She addressed a few sharp words to him, no doubt of a reproachful character, judging by the haughty expression of her face. Martinon tried to smile; then he went to join the circle in which grave men were holding discussions. Madame Dambreuse resumed her seat, and, bending over the arm of her chair, said to Frederick:
"I saw somebody the day before yesterday who was speaking to me about you--Monsieur de Cisy. You know him, don"t you?"
"Yes, slightly."
Suddenly Madame Dambreuse uttered an exclamation:
"Oh! d.u.c.h.esse, what a pleasure to see you!"
And she advanced towards the door to meet a little old lady in a Carmelite taffeta gown and a cap of guipure with long borders. The daughter of a companion in exile of the Comte d"Artois, and the widow of a marshal of the Empire; who had been created a peer of France in 1830, she adhered to the court of a former generation as well as to the new court, and possessed sufficient influence to procure many things. Those who stood talking stepped aside, and then resumed their conversation.
It had now turned on pauperism, of which, according to these gentlemen, all the descriptions that had been given were grossly exaggerated.
"However," urged Martinon, "let us confess that there is such a thing as want! But the remedy depends neither on science nor on power. It is purely an individual question. When the lower cla.s.ses are willing to get rid of their vices, they will free themselves from their necessities.
Let the people be more moral, and they will be less poor!"
According to M. Dambreuse, no good could be attained without a superabundance of capital. Therefore, the only practicable method was to intrust, "as the Saint-Simonians, however, proposed (good heavens!
there was some merit in their views--let us be just to everybody)--to intrust, I say, the cause of progress to those who can increase the public wealth." Imperceptibly they began to touch on great industrial undertakings--the railways, the coal-mines. And M. Dambreuse, addressing Frederick, said to him in a low whisper:
"You have not called about that business of ours?"
Frederick pleaded illness; but, feeling that this excuse was too absurd:
"Besides, I need my ready money."
"Is it to buy a carriage?" asked Madame Dambreuse, who was brushing past him with a cup of tea in her hand, and for a minute she watched his face with her head bent slightly over her shoulder.
She believed that he was Rosanette"s lover--the allusion was obvious. It seemed even to Frederick that all the ladies were staring at him from a distance and whispering to one another.
In order to get a better idea as to what they were thinking about, he once more approached them. On the opposite side of the table, Martinon, seated near Mademoiselle Cecile, was turning over the leaves of an alb.u.m. It contained lithographs representing Spanish costumes. He read the descriptive t.i.tles aloud: "A Lady of Seville," "A Valencia Gardener," "An Andalusian Picador"; and once, when he had reached the bottom of the page, he continued all in one breath:
"Jacques Arnoux, publisher. One of your friends, eh?"
"That is true," said Frederick, hurt by the tone he had a.s.sumed.
Madame Dambreuse again interposed:
"In fact, you came here one morning--about a house, I believe--a house belonging to his wife." (This meant: "She is your mistress.")
He reddened up to his ears; and M. Dambreuse, who joined them at the same moment, made this additional remark:
"You appear even to be deeply interested in them."
These last words had the effect of putting Frederick out of countenance.
His confusion, which, he could not help feeling, was evident to them, was on the point of confirming their suspicions, when M. Dambreuse drew close to him, and, in a tone of great seriousness, said:
"I suppose you don"t do business together?"