“You have been talking prose without knowing it,” said the Unknown, taking back the letter.
Antonin Goulard, already struck with the aristocratic tone and manners of this personage, became respectful.
“By endeavoring to entice Anicette. She told us of the attempts of your man Julien to corrupt her. But my little tiger, Paradise, got the better of him, and he ended by admitting that you wanted to put Anicette into the service of one of the richest families in Arcis. Now, as the richest family in Arcis is the Beauvisage family I make no doubt it is Mademoiselle Cecile who covets this treasure.”
“Very good; then Anicette shall enter the Beauvisage household at once.”
He whistled. Paradise presented himself so rapidly that his master said: “You were listening!”
“In spite of myself, Monsieur le comte; these partitions are nothing but paper. But if Monsieur le comte prefers, I will move upstairs.”
“No, you can listen; it is your perquisite. It is for me to speak low when I don’t want you to know my affairs. Go back to Cinq-Cygne, and give this gold piece to that little Anicette from me. Julien shall have the credit of enticing her away,” he continued, addressing Goulard. “That bit of gold will inform her that she is to follow him. Anicette may be useful to the success of our candidate.”
“Monsieur, it is now thirty-two years since lady’s-maids have served my purposes. I had my first adventure at the age of thirteen, like the regent, the great-great-grandfather of our present King. Do you know the fortune of this Mademoiselle Beauvisage?”
“I can’t help knowing it, monsieur, for yesterday at Madame Marion’s, Madame Beauvisage said openly that Monsieur Grevin, Cecile’s grandfather, would give his granddaughter the hotel de Beauseant in Paris and two hundred thousand francs for a wedding present.”
The stranger’s eyes expressed no surprise. He seemed to consider the fortune rather paltry.
“Do you know Arcis well?” he asked of Goulard.
“I am the sub-prefect and I was born here.”
“What is the best way to balk curiosity?”
“By satisfying it. For instance, Monsieur le Comte has a baptismal name; let him register that with the title of count.”
“And if monsieur will assume the position of a railway official, Arcis will be content; it will amuse itself by floating that stick at least for a fortnight.”