When they had left the house, Poterne said:
"This girl has fallen into our hands to make up to us for the Polish intrigue. She is a fascinating creature! It is impossible that young Cherubin should not adore her; indeed, you have often told me how much he used to talk about his little playmate--a proof that he hasn"t forgotten her, as she thinks; but we mustn"t let him have her except for her weight in gold."
Darena made no reply; he seemed to be thinking deeply, and Poterne did not dare to disturb him; he proposed to have the management of the affair in his own hand.
The next day Darena made a careful toilet and went with Poterne to the little house. While he talked with Louise, Poterne remained below, talking with Madame Ratouille, who a.s.sured him that the girl had not had a moment of ennui as she had played cards with her all day.
Darena remained with Louise until nightfall; when he went away with Poterne, he was as silent as on the day before.
The following day pa.s.sed in the same way; but Poterne observed that his dear friend was becoming more and more coquettish in his attire. Madame Ratouille continued to play cards with Louise, who thought that Monsieur de Monfreville was very slow about returning. But Darena said to her every day:
"Be patient; he must return at last, and as you have waited for him so long, it would be absurd to go away just at the moment of his return."
But Louise was beginning to be disturbed; it seemed to her that the gentleman who came every day to keep her company, no longer addressed her with the same respect or kept so far away from her; she considered that he gazed at her too often and too long; and she had observed some things in Madame Ratouille"s manners and speech which materially diminished her confidence in that woman.
On the sixth day, when they left the house, where they had remained later than usual, Poterne, surprised to find that affairs were still at the same point, said to his companion:
"I say! what"s your plan? When shall you see the young marquis? What fairy tale do you propose to tell him on the subject of the girl?"
Darena puffed himself up and replied in a fatuous tone:
"I have changed my mind! This girl is decidedly too pretty to turn over to another man; she pleases me. I had forgotten what love was, and she has revived that sentiment in my dilapidated heart! Louise shall be my mistress; and then, later, when I am tired of her, we will see."
"That"s a fine idea!" cried Poterne. "Is that the way you hope to earn money? Fall in love--you! why it"s pitiful! just because you have a few gold pieces in hand, and because you have been lucky at play these last few days. But it will soon be spent; and if you miss this opportunity----"
"Poterne, if you don"t stop annoying me, I"ll break this stick over your back! I mean to possess that child; perhaps it is only a whim, but it suits me to gratify it. She"s a little jewel, is this Louise, not a false one, like the one you sold to Cherubin. To-morrow, you will order a delectable repast, with wines which you will be kind enough not to purchase at La Courtille; you will order it sent to my villa near Barriere de la Chopinette; I will dine with Louise, and I will sleep there. As to you, if Madame Ratouille tempts you, I turn her over to you."
"Sapristi! I should prefer five years at Toulon!"
"You heard me, Poterne: a dainty feast at the little house to-morrow."
"And you think that this young Louise will consent to----"
"Why not, when I have induced her to drink a few gla.s.ses of champagne?
And if she doesn"t consent, why, I will do without her permission. For six days now I have been darting burning glances at her, and if she hasn"t understood them, so much the worse for her! it isn"t my fault, and I have no desire to take it out in sighs."
"Well," thought Poterne, as he followed Darena, "he has taken it into his head, and anything that I could say would do no good."
While all this was taking place, Cherubin and Monfreville were searching Paris, making inquiries, asking in all directions if anything had been seen of a young woman, of whom they gave an exact description. All of Cherubin"s servants too had taken the field; Monsieur Gerondif started out as soon as he had breakfasted and did not return until dinner-time, swearing that he had travelled twelve leagues during the day in search of Louise. Jasmin had gone to Gagny to inquire whether by any chance Louise had returned there; but the girl had not been seen, and Nicole, when she learned that the whereabouts of her adopted child were unknown, shed tears, cursed the tutor, who was responsible for Louise"s going to Paris, and swore that she would find him and beat him if her child was not found.
Two days pa.s.sed and no trace of her had been discovered; toward the end of the third day, Cherubin had just left Monfreville, to return home, in despair over the non-success of his search, when, as he crossed the Pont Neuf, his eyes happened to fall on a small boy, leading an ugly dog, which he offered for sale to the pa.s.sers-by.
The young dog fancier"s face bore altogether too noticeable an expression of craft and mischief not to attract the attention of a person who had seen it before. Cherubin instantly recognized the little scamp who was watching the house to which Darena had taken the so-called Comtesse de Globeska; and, without any very clear idea in what way that encounter might be of service to him, he walked toward Monsieur Bruno, who recognized him and seemed delighted to see him.
"Ah! it"s you, is it, monsieur? I recognize you!" said Bruno, staring impudently at the young man; "you"re the man they tried to gull with a German woman who made believe she was a Pole! Don"t you want to buy my dog? It"s a terrier; he"ll bring things back better"n I do, for I never bring anything back at all. Six francs! that"s not a high price. I found him yesterday and I"m selling him to-day; we"re both hungry, and that"s why I"ll let you have him so cheap."
"Ah! so you sell dogs now, eh?" said Cherubin.
"Well! I"ve got to do something, as those fellows turned me out-of-doors. You know who I mean--your friend that"s such a bully, and that old thief of a Poterne. You see they"ve taken another girl to the little house yonder, but she"s a very different kind from the Alsatian; she"s a mighty sight prettier."
A sudden thought flashed through Cherubin"s mind; he led Bruno aside, put twenty francs in his hand, and said to him:
"Here, that"s for you; and ten times as much more if you will help me to find the woman I am looking for."
"Twenty francs! My eyes! what luck! I never had so much money at once.
The dog"s yours."
"Now answer my questions. Darena and Poterne, you say, have taken a young girl to the house outside the barrier?"
"Yes, in a carriage, an old cab."
"How long since? do you know?"
"_Pardi_, yes! I was there when they brought her. It was--let me see--a week ago to-day."
"A week--and we have been looking for her three days; oh! it must be she! Is this young lady pretty?"
"Lovely, and she don"t look like a country wench like the other. They made her believe that she was at a Monsieur de Monfreville"s house; then that old vagabond of a Poterne went off and found, I don"t know where, an old woman to play concierge; and they kicked me out."
"Did they call her by name before you?"
"Wait a minute--I remember now that, when they arrived, Monsieur Darena said, as he brought the girl into the house:
""This is my friend Marquis Cherubin"s foster-sister.""
"It is she! Ah! the villains! I"ll make them give her back to me! Poor Louise! in that infamous Darena"s hands for a week! G.o.d grant that I may arrive in time!"
"Take me with you. If you appear at the door, they won"t let you in."
"I"ll break the door down."
"Oh! it"s too strong; but I promise you that I"ll find a way to make them open it."
"Come, then, come; I will double the reward I promised you, if Louise is under my protection soon."
"Ah! a fine trick! They"ll kick me out, will they? Thanks! I guess I"ll have a little revenge.--Go on, Boudin, I give you your liberty--go find a dinner."
Bruno released his dog. Cherubin hesitated a moment, uncertain whether he should inform Monfreville of his discovery; but every instant"s delay made him more and more fearful that Louise would fall a victim to some plot, and he felt that he had sufficient resolution and courage to rescue her, single-handed, from the dangers that threatened her. He took a cab with Bruno, and was driven first to his house, which was not far away; he took a pair of pistols, determined to make use of them, if necessary to rescue Louise; then, without a word to any of his people, he returned to the cab, which conveyed him and Bruno to Barriere de la Chopinette.
It was dark when they reached the outer boulevard. Cherubin quivered with impatience, rage, and fear of not finding Louise. Little Bruno, who thought of everything, said to him:
"Have the cab stop before we"re very near the house. If they should hear it, it would put them on their guard."
Cherubin realized the wisdom of that advice; he alighted with Bruno, ordered the driver to wait for him, and walked toward the house with his little companion. The shutters were closed on the ground floor and first floor; but through the poorly joined boards it was easy to see that there were lights on both floors.
"There"s somebody there!" said Cherubin, his heart beating violently.
"Yes. Now is when we need to be cunning, in order to get in. Wait, and don"t breathe. Have your pistols all ready to frighten them when the door is open. You"ll see how I pull the wool over their eyes."