The Slaves of Paris - Émile Gaboriau (macos ebook reader .txt) 📗

from him; but it is out and out the governor’s fault. Why did he drive me to desperation? Yes, it is all the old man’s doing. He wasn’t satisfied with pitching into me, but he collared that poor, helpless lamb and shut her up. She never did him any harm, and I call it a right down cowardly and despicable act to hurt Zora.”

“Zora,” repeated André, who did not recognize the name.

“Yes, Zora; you know; you had a feed with us one day.”

“Yes, yes; you mean Rose.”

“That’s it; but I don’t like anyone to call her by that ugly, common name. Well, the governor has gone mad about her, and filed a complaint against her of decoying a minor, as if I was a fellow anyone could decoy. Well, the end of it was, that she is now in the prison of St. Lazare.”

The tears started to the young man’s eyes as he related this grievance.

“Poor Zora,” he added; “I was never mashed on a woman like I was on her. And then what a splendid form she has! Why, the hairdresser said he had never seen such hair in his life; and she is at St. Lazare. As soon as the police came for her, her first thoughts were of me, and she shrieked out, ‘Poor Gaston will kill himself when he hears of this.’ The cook told me this, and added that her mistress’s sufferings were terrible. And she is at St. Lazare. I tried to see her, but it was no go;” and here the boy’s voice broke into a sob.

“Come,” said André, “keep up your spirits.”

“Ah! you shall see if, as soon as I am twenty-one, I don’t marry her. I don’t put all the blame on the old man. He has been advised by his lawyer, a beast by the name of Catenac. Do you know him?”

“No.”

“You don’t seem to know anyone. Well, I shall send him a challenge tomorrow. I have got my seconds all ready. By the way, would you like to act for me? I can easily get rid of one of the others.”

“I have had no experience in such matters.”

“Ah, then you would be of no use. My seconds must put him into a regular blue funk.”

“In that case⁠—”

“No; I know what you are going to say: you mean that I had best look out for a military swell; but, after all, the matter lies in a nutshell. I am the insulted party, and draw pistols at ten paces. If that frightens him, he will make the governor drop all this rubbish.”

Had his mind not been so much occupied, this rhodomontade on Gaston’s part would have amused André very much, but now he asked himself what would be the quickest way to escape from him.

Just at this moment a servant emerged from the house.

“Sir,” said he, addressing André, “my master has seen you from his window, and begs that you will go up to him at once.”

“I will be with him immediately,” answered André; and, holding out his hand to Gaston, he took leave of him with a few words of encouragement.

XXII A Gentleman in Difficulties

When André had got rid of the young man, and had been ushered into M. Gandelu’s presence, the change in the gentleman’s appearance struck him with horror. His eyes were red and swollen as if he had been weeping, but as soon as he caught sight of André his face brightened, and he welcomed him warmly.

“Oh, it does me good to see you, and I bless the fortunate chance that has brought you here today.”

“It is not a very fortunate chance,” answered André, as he shook his head sadly.

For the first time Gandelu noticed the air of gravity which marked the young man, and the shade of sorrow upon his brow.

“What ails you, André?” asked he.

“A great misfortune is hanging over me.”

“What do you mean?”

“The naked truth and this misfortune may bring death and despair to me.”

“I am your friend, my dear boy,” said the old man, “and would gladly be of service to you. Tell me if I can be of any use?”

“I come to you today to ask a favor at your hands.”

“And you thought of the old man, then? I thank you for doing so. Give me your hand; I like to feel the grasp of an honest man’s hand; it warms my heart.”

“It is the secret of my life that I am going to confide to you,” said he, with some solemnity.

M. Gandelu made no reply, but struck his clenched fist upon his breast, as though to show that any secret confided to him would be locked up in the safe security of his heart.

Then André hesitated no longer, and, with the exception of giving names, told the whole story of his love, his ambitions, and his hopes, and gave a clear account of how matters stood.

“How can I help you?” asked M. Gandelu.

“Allow me,” said André, “to hand over the work with which you have entrusted me to one of my friends. I will retain the responsibility, but will merely act as one of the workmen. This, to a certain extent, will give me my liberty, while at the same time I shall be earning a little money, which is just now of vast importance to me.”

“Is that what you call a favor?”

“Certainly, and a very great one, too.”

Gandelu rose hastily, and, opening an iron safe which stood in one corner of the room, and taking from it a bundle of banknotes, he placed them on the table before André with an expressive look, which meant, “Take what you desire.”

The unlooked-for kindness of this man, who forgot all his own sorrows in his anxiety to relieve the necessities of another, affected André deeply.

“I do not need money,” began he.

With a wave of his hand Gandelu inspired silence. “Take these twenty thousand francs,” said he, “and then I can tell you why I asked you to come upstairs.”

A refusal would have wounded the old