Daniel felt that underneath the whole affair there was some diabolic intrigue. If Miss Brandon had really procured this order to active service, was it not likely that she would have taken her measures, so that he could not possibly avoid going? Were all these men in citizen"s dress whom he saw there really navy officers? The young man who had asked Lieut. Dutac to go on in his story had disappeared. Daniel went from one to the other, inquiring who that clever young man was, but in vain. Soon a summons came for him to appear in the superior"s office. He hastened there; and, as he opened the door, he said,- "I"ll follow your advice, captain. In three days I shall be on board "The Conquest.""
The captain"s stern face cleared up, and he said approvingly,- "All right! You did well to change your mind; for your business began to look very ugly. The minister is very angry with you."
"The minister? And why?"
"Primo, he had charged you with a very important duty."
"To be sure," stammered Daniel, hanging his head; "but I have been so severely suffering!"
The fact is, he had totally forgotten that unlucky work.
"Secundo," continued the old officer, "he was doubtful whether you were in your right senses, and I agree with him, since he has told me that you yourself have solicited this appointment on foreign service in the most urgent terms."
Daniel was stunned, and stammered out,- "His Excellency is mistaken."
"Ah! I beg your pardon, M. Champcey; I have myself seen your letter."
But already a sudden inspiration had, like a flash of lightning, cleared up the mystery in Daniel"s mind.
"Ah! I wish I could see it too! Captain, I beseech you show me that letter!"
The old officer began almost to think that Champcey was really not in his right mind. He answered,- "I do not have it; but it is among your papers in the bureau for Personal Affairs."
In a minute Daniel was in the office where those papers were kept, and obtained, not without much trouble, and under certain conditions only, leave to look at his papers. He opened the parcel with feverish haste; and the very first paper that fell in his hands was a letter, dated the day before, in which he urgently requested the minister to grant him the special favor of being sent out with the expedition to Cochin China on board the frigate "Conquest."
Daniel was, of course, perfectly sure that he had written no such letter.
But the handwriting was so precisely like his own, letter for letter, and even his signature was so admirably imitated, that he felt for a moment utterly bewildered, mistrusting, for a second, his own eyes, his own reason. The whole was done so exceedingly well, that if the matter had been one of ordinary importance, and the date of the letter had gone back to a fortnight or so ago, he would certainly have suspected his memory rather than the letter before him.
Overcome by the atrocity of such a trick, he exclaimed,- "It is almost incredible!"
It was, however, only too certain, too indisputable, that the letter could not have been dictated by any one but Miss Brandon. No doubt, one of her accomplices, perhaps the great Sir Thorn himself, had written it. Ah! now Daniel understood the insolent a.s.surance of Miss Brandon, when she insisted upon his taking poor Malgat"s letters, and repeatedly said, "Go and show them to the clerks who have known that unhappy man for long years, and they will tell you if they are his own." Most a.s.suredly he would have met with no one bold enough to say the contrary, if Malgat"s handwriting had been copied with the same distressing perfection as his own.
Still he might, perhaps, profit by this strange event; but how?
Ought he to mention his discovery? What would have been the use? Would they believe him, if he accused her of forgery, of a trick unsurpa.s.sed in boldness and wickedness? Would they even consent to an investigation; and, if they inst.i.tuted one, what would be the result? Where would they find an expert ready to swear that this letter was not written by him, when he himself, if each line had been presented to him separately, would have felt bound to acknowledge it as his own?
Was it not far more probable, on the contrary, that, after what he had done in the morning, they would have ascribed his charges to a mistake, or seen in them a weak invention in order to cover his retreat? Therefore it was a thousand times better to keep silence, to be resigned to postpone to another day every attempt to avenge himself in a manner corresponding to the injury he had suffered, and all the more effectively, as his vengeance would have been carefully matured.
But he did not wish that false letter, which might become a formidable piece of evidence against him, to remain among his papers; no doubt Miss Brandon would soon find an opportunity of having it withdrawn. He asked, therefore, for leave to copy it, obtained permission, went to work, and succeeded, without being seen by anybody, in subst.i.tuting his copy for the original.
When this was done, knowing that he had not a minute to lose, he instantly left the department, and, jumping into a carriage, drove to M. de Brevan.
XII.
Like all energetic natures, Daniel felt a wonderful relief as soon as he had formed an irrevocable decision. He would even have enjoyed the peace that had once more returned to his mind, but for the savage hatred which had acc.u.mulated in his heart, and which confused his thoughts whenever he remembered Miss Brandon.
Providentially, it seemed to him, Maxime had not gone out, or, rather, having been to breakfast at the English cafe with some of his friends, he had just returned.
In ten words Daniel had told him every thing, and even shown him that masterpiece of forgery, which he attributed to Miss Brandon"s mind, and M. Elgin"s skill. Then, without heeding Maxime"s exclamations of wonder and indignation, loud and deep as they were, he continued,- "Now, my dear Maxime, listen to me. It may be my last will which I am going to give in your charge."
And, when his friend tried to remonstrate, he insisted,- "I know what I am saying. I am sure I hope I shall not be buried out there; but the climate is murderous, and I may encounter a cannon-ball. It is always better to be prepared."
He paused a moment to collect his thoughts; and then he went on.
"You alone, in this world, Maxime, know all my private affairs. I have no secret from you. I have friends whom I have known longer than you; but I have none in whom I feel more confidence. Besides, my old friends are all sailors,-men, who, like myself, may at any moment be sent, Heaven knows where. Now I want a reliable, safe, and experienced man, possessed of prudence and energy, and sure not to leave Paris. Will you be that man, Maxime?"
M. de Brevan, who had remained in his chair, rose, and, putting his hand on his heart, said,- "Between us, Daniel, oaths are useless; don"t you think so? I say, therefore, simply, you may count upon me."
"And I do count upon you," exclaimed Daniel,-"yes, blindly and absolutely; and I am going to give you a striking proof of it."
For a few moments it looked as if he were trying to find some brief and yet impressive form for his communication; and then he said, speaking very rapidly,- "If I leave in despair, it is because I leave Henrietta in the hands of the enemy. What persecution she will have to endure! My heart bleeds at the mere thought. Miss Brandon must be meditating some terrible blow, or she would not have been so anxious to keep me at a distance."
He sobbed almost, so great was his excitement; but he instantly became master again of his emotion, and continued,- "Well, Maxime, I shall ask you to watch over Henrietta. I intrust her to you as I would intrust her to my brother, if I had one."
M. de Brevan was about to state some objections; but Daniel cut him short, saying,- "I will tell you how and in what manner you can watch over Miss Ville-Handry. To-morrow evening I shall see her, and tell her the new misfortune which has befallen us. I shall take leave of her then. I know she will be terrified; but then, to rea.s.sure her, I shall explain to her that I leave her a friend, another myself, ready, like myself, to a.s.sist her at her first summons, and ready, like myself, to run any danger in order to succor her. I shall tell her to appeal to you as if it were to myself; to write to you as she used to write to me; to keep you informed of all they may attempt to do; to consult and to obey you without hesitation.
"As to what you will have to do, Maxime, I cannot tell you that, even in a general way, as I know nothing of Miss Brandon"s plans. I rely upon your experience to do what is most expedient. Still there are two alternatives which I can foresee. It may be that her father"s house becomes impossible for Henrietta, and that she should wish to leave it. It may also be, that, under certain circ.u.mstances, you may think it inexpedient for her to remain there, and that you have to advise her to escape. In either case, you will take Henrietta to an old lady, a relative of mine, who lives at the Rosiers, a little village in the department of Maine-et-Loire, and whose address I will give you, while I will inform her beforehand of what may happen."
He paused, trying to remember if there was any thing else, and, recalling nothing, he said,- "This, my dear Maxime, is all I expect you to do for me."
With open brow, a clear eye, and grave face, M. de Brevan replied in a solemn tone of voice, speaking like a man who feels that he deserves such confidence,- "Friend Daniel, you may sail without fear."
But Daniel had not done yet.
Pressing his friend"s hand heartily, he thanked him, and then with a careless air, under which he very imperfectly concealed his real embarra.s.sment, he said,- "There remains only to provide the means for carrying out these measures, and for possible contingencies. You are not rich, my dear Maxime, I mean rich in comparison with the people who are your friends; you have told me so more than once."
He touched a wound which was always open, and always bleeding.
"Certainly," replied M. de Brevan, "in comparison with a number of my friends, with men like Gordon Chalusse, for instance, I am only a poor devil."
Daniel did not notice the bitterness of this reply.
"Now," he said, "suppose, at a given moment, Miss Henrietta"s safety should make a certain sum of money necessary,-perhaps a very large sum,-are you sure you will always have enough in your drawer, and be able to dispose of it without inconvenience?"
"Ah! you expect too much of me; but I have friends."
"And you would ask them! you would expose yourself to the humiliation of hearing those set excuses which serve to conceal refusals! I could never permit that."
"I a.s.sure you"- "Let me tell you that I have forgotten nothing. Although my means are modest, I can, by selling out some bonds, realize enough to secure you against any embarra.s.sment on that score. I also own property in Anjou which is valued at fifty or sixty thousand dollars, and I mean to sell it."
The other man opened his eyes wide.
"You mean," he said slowly.
"To sell it, yes. You heard right. Except, however, my home, my father"s house, with the little garden in front, the orchard, and the meadow adjoining the house. In that house my father and my mother have lived and died. I find them there, so to say, whenever I go in; their thoughts are still filling the rooms, after so many years. The garden and the orchard are the first little bits of land my father bought from his earnings as ploughboy. He cultivated them in his leisure hours, and there is literally not a foot of soil which he has not moistened with the sweat of his brow. They are sacred to me; but the rest-I have already given orders."
"And you expect to sell every thing in the three days before your departure?"
"Oh, no! But you are here."
"What can I do?"
"Take my place, I should think. I will leave you a power-of-attorney. Perhaps, if you make haste, you can get fifty thousand dollars for the property. You will invest that so as to be able to use it any moment. And, if ever Miss Henrietta should be compelled to leave her father"s house, you will hand the money over to her."
M. de Brevan had turned very pale.
"Excuse me," he said, "excuse me."
"What?"
"Well, it seems to me it would be more suitable to leave some one else in charge of that."
"Whom?"
"Oh! I do not know,-a more experienced man! It may be that the property will not bring as much as you expect. Or I might invest the money in the wrong funds. Money questions are so delicate!"
But Daniel said, shrugging his shoulders,- "I do not understand why you should hesitate to undertake so simple a thing, when you have already consented to render me so signal and so difficult a service."
So simple! M. de Brevan did not look upon it in that light.
A nervous shiver, which he could hardly conceal, ran down his backbone; drops of perspiration broke out on his temples; and he turned deadly pale.
"Fifty thousand dollars! That is an enormous sum."
"Oh, yes!" replied Daniel in the most careless manner.
And, looking at the clock, he added,- "Half-past three. Come, Maxime, be quick. My carriage is waiting. The notary expects us between three and four o"clock."
This notary was an exceptional man. He took an interest in the affairs of his clients, and sometimes even listened to hear their explanations. When Daniel had told him what he intended doing, he replied,- "You have nothing to do, M. Champcey, but to give M. de Brevan a power-of-attorney in proper form."
"Would it be possible," asked Daniel, "to have it drawn up at once?"
"Why not? It can be recorded this evening; and to-morrow"- "Well, then, lose no time."
The notary called his chief clerk, gave him briefly his instructions, then, making a sign to Daniel, he drew him into a kind of recess resembling an enormous cupboard, adjoining his office, in which he "confessed" his clients, as he called it. When they were there, he said,- "How is it, M. Champcey, do you really owe this M. de Brevan so much money?"
"Not a cent."
"And you leave your entire fortune thus in his hands! You must have marvellous confidence in the man."
"As much as in myself."
"That is a good deal. And if he should, during your absence, run away with the fifty thousand dollars?"
Daniel was a little shaken; but he remained firm.
"Oh!" he said, "there are still some honest people in the world."
"Ah?" laughed the notary.
And, from the manner in which he shook his head, it was clearly seen that experience had made him very sceptical on that subject.
"If you would only listen to me," he resumed, "I could prove to you"- But Daniel interrupted him, and said,- "I have no desire, sir, to change my mind; but, even if I should wish to do so, I cannot retract my word. There are particular circ.u.mstances in this case which I cannot explain to you in so short a time."
The notary raised his eyes to the ceiling, and said in a tone of great pity,- "At least, let me make him give you a deed of defeasance."
"Very well, sir."
This was done, but in such carefully guarded terms, that even the most exquisite susceptibility on the part of Maxime could not have been hurt. It was five o"clock, when the power-of-attorney and the deed were signed, and the two friends left the worthy notary"s office. It was too late now for Daniel to write to Henrietta to send him for that same evening the key to the little garden-gate; but he wrote to get it for the next evening.
After that, having dined with M. de Brevan, he went all over Paris in search of the thousand little things which are necessary for such a long and perilous voyage. He came home late, and was fortunate enough to fall asleep as soon as he had lain down. The next morning he breakfasted in his rooms, for fear of being out of the house when they should bring him the key.
It came towards one o"clock. It was brought by a large girl, nearly thirty years old, with a cross expression of face, and eyes more than modestly seeking the ground, and with narrow lips which seemed to be perpetually engaged in reciting prayers. This was Clarissa, whom Henrietta considered the safest of her waiting-women, and whom she had taken into her confidence.
"Miss Henrietta," she said to Daniel, "has given me this key and this letter for you, sir. She expects an answer."
Daniel tore the envelope, and read,- "Take care, O my darling friend! to resort to this dangerous expedient which we ought to reserve for the last extremity. Is what you have to tell me really so important as you say? I can hardly believe it; and yet I send you the key. Tell Clarissa the precise hour at which you will be here."
Alas! the poor girl had no idea of the terrible news that was in store for her.
"Request Miss Henrietta," said Daniel to the maid, "to expect me at seven o"clock."
Sure now of seeing Henrietta, Daniel slipped the key in his pocket, and hurried away. He had only a short afternoon to himself, and there were still a thousand things to get, and countless preparations to make.
At his notary"s, where he went first, he found the papers ready; all the formalities had been fulfilled. But, at the moment when the deed was placed before him, the worthy lawyer said in a prophetic voice,- "M. Champcey, take care, reflect! I call that tempting a man pretty strongly when you hand over to him fifty thousand dollars the day before you start on a long and dangerous expedition."
"Ah! What matters my fortune, if I only see my Henrietta again?"
The notary looked discouraged.
"Ah! if there is a woman in the affair, I have nothing more to say."
It was as well. The next moment Daniel had forgotten him and his sombre presentiments.
Seated in M. de Brevan"s little sitting-room, he was handing over his deeds and papers to his faithful confidant, explaining to him how he might make the most of the different parcels of land which he owned; how certain woods might be sold together; how, on the other hand, a large farm, now held by one tenant, might be advantageously divided into small lots, and sold at auction.
M. de Brevan did not look so pale now. He had recovered his self- possession, and laid aside his usual reserve in order to show himself all eagerness for his friend.