10When Mascarin was asked what was the best way to achieve certainresults, his invariable reply was, "Keep moving, keep moving." He hadone great advantage over other men, he put in practice the doctrineshe preached, and at seven o'clock the morning after his interview withthe Count de Mussidan he was hard at work in his room. A thick foghung over the city, even penetrating into the office, which had begunto fill with clients. This crowd had but little interest for the headof the establishment, as it consisted chiefly of waiters from smalleating houses, and cooks who knew little or nothing of what was goingon in the houses where they were in service. Finding this to be thecase, Mascarin handed them all over to Beaumarchef, and onlyoccasionally nodded to the serviteur of some great family, who chancedto stroll in.
He was busily engaged in arranging those pieces of cardboard which hadso much puzzled Paul in his first visit, and was so much occupied withhis task, that all he could do was to mutter broken exclamations:
"What a stupendous undertaking! but I have to work single-handed, andhold in my hands all these threads, which for twenty years, with thepatience of a spider, I have been weaving into a web. No one, seeingme here, would believe this. People who pass me by in the street say,'That is Mascarin, who keeps a servants' registry office;' that is theway in which they look upon me. Let them laugh if they like; theylittle know the mighty power I wield in secret. No one suspects me,no, not one. I may seem too sanguine, it is true," he continued, stillglancing over his papers, "or the net may break and some of the fishesslip out. That idiot, Mussidan, asked me if I was acquainted with thePenal code. I should think I was, for no one has studied them moredeeply than I have, and there is a clause in volume 3, chapter 2,which is always before me. Penal servitude for a term of years; and ifI am convicted under Article 306, then it means a life sentence." Heshuddered, but soon a smile of triumph shone over his face as heresumed, "Ah, but to send a man like Mascarin for change of air toToulon, he must be caught, and that is not such an easy task. The dayhe scents danger he disappears, and leaves no trace behind him. I fearthat I cannot look for too much from my companions, Catenac andHortebise; I have up to now kept them back. Croisenois would neverbetray me, and as for Beaumarchef, La Candele, Toto Chupin, and a fewother poor devils, they would be a fine haul for the police. Theycouldn't split, simply because they know nothing." Mascarin chuckled,and then adjusting his spectacles with his favorite gesture, said, "Ishall go on in the course I have commenced, straight as the flight ofan arrow. I ought to make four millions through Croisenois. Paul shallmarry Flavia, that is all arranged, and Flavia will make a grandduchess with her magnificent income."He had by this time arranged his pasteboard squares, then he took asmall notebook, alphabetically arranged, from a drawer, wrote a nameor two in it, and then closing it said with a deadly smile, "There, myfriends, you are all registered, though you little suspect it. You areall rich, and think that you are free, but you are wrong, for there isone man who owns you, soul and body, and that man is BaptisteMascarin; and at his bidding, high as you hold your heads now, youwill crawl to his feet in humble abasement." His musings wereinterrupted by a knock at the door. He struck the bell on his writingtable, and the last sound of it was hardly died away, when Beaumarchefstood on the threshold.
"You desired me, sir," said he, with the utmost deference, "tocomplete my report regarding young M. Gandelu, and it so happens thatthe cook whom he has taken into his service in the new establishmenthe has started is on our list. She has just come in to pay us elevenfrancs that she owed us, and is waiting outside. Is not this lucky?"Mascarin made a little grimace. "You are an idiot, Beaumarchef," saidhe, "to be pleased at so trivial a matter. I have often told you thatthere is no such thing as luck or chance, and that all comes to thosewho work methodically."Beaumarchef listened to his master's wisdom in silent surprise.
"And pray, who is this woman?" asked Mascarin.
"You will know her when you see her, sir. She is registered underclass D, that is, for employment in rather fast establishments.""Go and fetch her," observed Mascarin, and as the man left the room,he muttered, "Experience has taught me that it is madness to neglectthe smallest precaution."In another moment the woman appeared, and Mascarin at once addressedher with that air of friendly courtesy which made him so popular amongsuch women. "Well, my good girl," said he, "and so you have got thesort of place you wanted, eh?""I hope so, sir, but you see I have only been with Madame Zora deChantemille since yesterday.""Ah, Zora de Chantemille, that is a fine name, indeed.""It is only a fancy name, and she had an awful row over it withmaster. She wanted to be called Raphaela, but he stood out for Zora.""Zora is a very pretty name," observed Mascarin solemnly.
"Yes, sir, just what the maid and I told her. She is a splendid woman,and doesn't she just squander the shiners? Thirty thousand francs havegone since yesterday.""I can hardly credit it.""Not cash, you understand, but tick. M. de Gandelu has not a sou ofhis own in the world, so a waiter at Potier's told me, and he knewwhat was what; but the governor is rolling in money. Yesterday theyhad a house-warming--the dinner, with wine, cost over a thousandfrancs."Not seeing how to utilize any of this gossip, Mascarin made a gestureof dismissal, when the woman exclaimed,--"Stop, sir, I have something to tell you.""Well," said Mascarin, throwing himself back in his chair with an airof affected impatience, "let us have it.""We had eight gents to dinner, all howling swells, but my master wasthe biggest masher of the lot. Madame was the only woman at table.
Well, by ten o'clock, they had all had their whack of drink, and thenthey told the porter to keep the courtyard clear. What do you thinkthey did then? Why, they threw plates, glasses, knives, forks, anddishes bang out of the window. That is a regular swell fashion, so thewaiter at Potier's told me, and was introduced into Paris by aRussian."Mascarin closed his eyes and answered languidly, "Go on.""Well, sir, there was one gent who was a blot on the whole affair. Hewas tall, shabbily dressed, and with no manners at all. He seemed allthe time to be sneering at the rest. But didn't Madame make up to himjust. She kept heaping up his plate and filling his glass. When theothers got to cards, he sat down by my mistress, and began to talk.""Could you hear what they said?""I should think so. I was in the bedroom, and they were near thedoor.""Dear me," remarked Mascarin, appearing much shocked, "surely that wasnot right?""I don't care a rap whether it was right or not. I like to hear allabout the people whom I engage with. They were talking about a M.
Paul, who had been Madame's friend before, and whom the gentleman alsoknew. Madame said that this Paul was no great shakes, and that he hadstolen twelve thousand francs."Mascarin pricked up his ears, feeling that his patience was about tomeet its reward.
"Can you tell me the gentleman's name, to whom Madame said all this?"asked he.
"Not I. The others called him 'The painter.' "This explanation did not satisfy Mascarin.
"Look here, my good girl," said he, "try and find out the fellow'sname. I think he is an artist who owes me money.""All right! Rely on me; and now I must be off, for I have breakfast toget ready, but I'll call again to-morrow;" and with a curtsy she leftthe room.
Mascarin struck his hand heavily on the table.
"Hortebise has a wonderful nose for sniffing out danger," said he.
"This Rose and the young fool who is ruining himself for her must bothbe suppressed."Beaumarchef again made a motion of executing a thrust with the rapier.
"Pooh, pooh!" answered his master; "don't be childish. I can do betterthan that. Rose calls herself nineteen, but she is more, she is ofage, while Gandelu is still a minor. If old Gandelu had any pluck, hewould put Article 354 in motion.""Eh, sir?" said Beaumarchef, much mystified.
"Look here. Before twenty-four hours have elapsed I must knoweverything as to the habits and disposition of Gandelu senior. I wantto know on what terms he is with his son.""Good. I will set La Candele to work.""And as the young fellow will doubtless need money, contrive to lethim know of our friend Verminet, the chairman of the Mutual LoanSociety.""But that is M. Tantaine's business."Mascarin paid no heed to this, so occupied was he by his own thoughts.
"This young artist seems to have more brains than the rest of the set,but woe to him if he crosses my path. Go back to the outer office,Beaumarchef, I hear some clients coming in."The man, however, did not obey.
"Pardon me, sir," said he, "but La Candele, who is outside, will seethem. I have my report to make.""Very good. Sit down and go on."Enchanted at this mark of condescension, Beaumarchef went on.
"Yesterday there was nothing of importance, but this morning TotoChupin came.""He had not lost Caroline Schimmel, I trust?""No, sir; he had even got into conversation with her.""That is good. He is a cunning little devil; a pity that he is not atrifle more honest.""He is sure," continued Beaumarchef, "that the woman drinks, for sheis always talking of persons following her about who menace her, andshe is so afraid of being murdered that she never ventures out alone.
She lives with a respectable workingman and his wife, and pays wellfor her board, for she seems to have plenty of money.""That is a nuisance," remarked Mascarin, evidently much annoyed.
"Where does she live?""At Montmartre, beyond the Chateau Rouge.""Good. Tantaine will inquire and see if Toto has made no mistake, anddoes not let the woman slip through his fingers.""He won't do that, for he told me that he was on the right road tofind out who she was, and where she got her money from. But I ought towarn you against the young scamp, for I have found out that he robs usand sells our goods far below their value.""What do you mean?""I have long had my suspicions, and yesterday I wormed it all out froma disreputable looking fellow, who came here to ask for his friendChupin."Men accustomed to danger are over prompt in their decisions. "Verywell," returned Mascarin, "if this is the case, Master Chupin shallhave a taste of prison fare."Beaumarchef withdrew, but almost immediately reappeared.
"Sir," said he, "a servant from M. de Croisenois is here with a note.""Send the man in," said Mascarin.
The domestic was irreproachably dressed, and looked what he was, theservant of a nobleman.
He had something the appearance of an Englishman, with a high collar,reaching almost to his ears. His face was clean shaved, and of a ruddyhue. His coat was evidently the work of a London tailor, and hisappearance was as stiff as though carved out of wood. Indeed, helooked like a very perfect piece of mechanism.
"My master," said he, "desired me to give this note into your ownhands."Under cover of breaking the seal, Mascarin viewed this model servantattentively. He was a stranger to him, for he had never suppliedCroisenois with a domestic.
"It seems, my good fellow," said he, "that your master was up earlierthan usual this morning?"The man frowned a little at this familiar address, and then slowlyreplied,--"When I took service with the Marquis, he agreed to give me fifteenlouis over my wages for the privilege of calling me 'a good fellow,'
but I permit no one to do so gratis. I think that my master is stillasleep," continued the man solemnly. "He wrote the note on his returnfrom the club.""Is there any reply.""Yes, sir.""Good; then wait a little."And Mascarin, opening the note, read the following:
"MY DEAR FRIEND,--"Baccarat has served me an ugly turn, and in addition to all myready cash I have given an I.O.U. for three thousand francs. Tosave my credit I must have this by twelve to-morrow.""His credit," said Mascarin. "His credit! That is a fine joke indeed."The servant stood up stiffly erect, as one seeming to take no notice,and the agent continued reading the letter.
"Am I wrong in looking to you for this trifle? I do not think so.
Indeed, I have an idea that you will send me a hundred and fiftylouis over and above, so that I may not be left without a coin inmy pocket. How goes the great affair? I await your decision on thebrink of a precipice.
"Yours devotedly,"HENRY DE CROISENOIS.""And so," growled Mascarin, "he has flung away five thousand francs,and asks me to find it for him in my coffers. Ah, you fool, if I didnot want the grand name that you have inherited from your ancestors, aname that you daily bespatter and soil, you might whistle for yourfive thousand francs."However, as Croisenois was absolutely necessary to him, Mascarinslowly took from his safe five notes of a thousand francs each, andhanded them to the man.
"Do you want a receipt?" asked the man.
"No; this letter is sufficient, but wait a bit;" and Mascarin, with aneye to the future, drew a twenty franc piece from his pocket, andplacing it on the table, said in his most honeyed accents,--"There, my friend, is something for yourself.""No, sir," returned the man; "I always ask wages enough to prevent thenecessity of accepting presents." And with this dignified reply hebowed with the stiff air of a Quaker, and w............