Scenes from a Courtesan's Life [256]
Collin, addressing Monsieur de Granville, "is the way you keep your word!--Ask your double-faced agent where he took me."
"Where?" said the public prosecutor.
"Close to the Court, in the vaulted passage," said Bibi-Lupin.
"Take your irons off the man," said Monsieur de Granville sternly. "And remember that you are to leave him free till further orders.--Go! --You have a way of moving and acting as if you alone were law and police in one."
The public prosecutor turned his back on Bibi-Lupin, who became deadly pale, especially at a look from Jacques Collin, in which he read disaster.
"I have not been out of this room. I expected you back, and you cannot doubt that I have kept my word, as you kept yours," said Monsieur de Granville to the convict.
"For a moment I did doubt you, sir, and in my place perhaps you would have thought as I did, but on reflection I saw that I was unjust. I bring you more than you can give me; you had no interest in betraying me."
The magistrate flashed a look at Corentin. This glance, which could not escape Trompe-la-Mort, who was watching Monsieur de Granville, directed his attention to the strange little old man sitting in an armchair in a corner. Warned at once by the swift and anxious instinct that scents the presence of an enemy, Collin examined this figure; he saw at a glance that the eyes were not so old as the costume would suggest, and he detected a disguise. In one second Jacques Collin was revenged on Corentin for the rapid insight with which Corentin had unmasked him at Peyrade's.
"We are not alone!" said Jacques Collin to Monsieur de Granville.
"No," said the magistrate drily.
"And this gentleman is one of my oldest acquaintances, I believe," replied the convict.
He went forward, recognizing Corentin, the real and confessed originator of Lucien's overthrow.
Jacques Collin, whose face was of a brick-red hue, for a scarcely perceptible moment turned white, almost ashy; all his blood rushed to his heart, so furious and maddening was his longing to spring on this dangerous reptile and crush it; but he controlled the brutal impulse, suppressing it with the force that made him so formidable. He put on a polite manner and the tone of obsequious civility which he had practised since assuming the garb of a priest of a superior Order, and he bowed to the little old man.
"Monsieur Corentin," said he, "do I owe the pleasure of this meeting to chance, or am I so happy as to be the cause of your visit here?"
Monsieur de Granville's astonishment was at its height, and he could not help staring at the two men who had thus come face to face. Jacques Collin's behavior and the tone in which he spoke denoted a crisis, and he was curious to know the meaning of it. On being thus suddenly and miraculously recognized, Corentin drew himself up like a snake when you tread on its tail.
"Yes, it is I, my dear Abbe Carlos Herrera."
"And are you here," said Trompe-la-Mort, "to interfere between monsieur the public prosecutor and me? Am I so happy as to be the object of one of those negotiations in which your talents shine so brightly?--Here, Monsieur le Comte," the convict went on, "not to waste time so precious as yours is, read these--they are samples of my wares."
And he held out to Monsieur de Granville three letters, which he took out of his breast-pocket.
"And while you are studying them, I will, with your permission, have a little talk with this gentleman."
"You do me great honor," said Corentin, who could not help giving a little shiver.
"You achieved a perfect success in our business," said Jacques Collin. "I was beaten," he added lightly, in the tone of a gambler who has lost his money, "but you left some men on the field--your victory cost you dear."
"Yes," said Corentin, taking up the jest, "you lost your queen, and I lost my two castles."
"Oh! Contenson was a mere pawn," said Jacques Collin scornfully; "you may easily replace him. You really are--allow me to praise you to your face--you are, on my word of honor, a magnificent man."
"No,
"Where?" said the public prosecutor.
"Close to the Court, in the vaulted passage," said Bibi-Lupin.
"Take your irons off the man," said Monsieur de Granville sternly. "And remember that you are to leave him free till further orders.--Go! --You have a way of moving and acting as if you alone were law and police in one."
The public prosecutor turned his back on Bibi-Lupin, who became deadly pale, especially at a look from Jacques Collin, in which he read disaster.
"I have not been out of this room. I expected you back, and you cannot doubt that I have kept my word, as you kept yours," said Monsieur de Granville to the convict.
"For a moment I did doubt you, sir, and in my place perhaps you would have thought as I did, but on reflection I saw that I was unjust. I bring you more than you can give me; you had no interest in betraying me."
The magistrate flashed a look at Corentin. This glance, which could not escape Trompe-la-Mort, who was watching Monsieur de Granville, directed his attention to the strange little old man sitting in an armchair in a corner. Warned at once by the swift and anxious instinct that scents the presence of an enemy, Collin examined this figure; he saw at a glance that the eyes were not so old as the costume would suggest, and he detected a disguise. In one second Jacques Collin was revenged on Corentin for the rapid insight with which Corentin had unmasked him at Peyrade's.
"We are not alone!" said Jacques Collin to Monsieur de Granville.
"No," said the magistrate drily.
"And this gentleman is one of my oldest acquaintances, I believe," replied the convict.
He went forward, recognizing Corentin, the real and confessed originator of Lucien's overthrow.
Jacques Collin, whose face was of a brick-red hue, for a scarcely perceptible moment turned white, almost ashy; all his blood rushed to his heart, so furious and maddening was his longing to spring on this dangerous reptile and crush it; but he controlled the brutal impulse, suppressing it with the force that made him so formidable. He put on a polite manner and the tone of obsequious civility which he had practised since assuming the garb of a priest of a superior Order, and he bowed to the little old man.
"Monsieur Corentin," said he, "do I owe the pleasure of this meeting to chance, or am I so happy as to be the cause of your visit here?"
Monsieur de Granville's astonishment was at its height, and he could not help staring at the two men who had thus come face to face. Jacques Collin's behavior and the tone in which he spoke denoted a crisis, and he was curious to know the meaning of it. On being thus suddenly and miraculously recognized, Corentin drew himself up like a snake when you tread on its tail.
"Yes, it is I, my dear Abbe Carlos Herrera."
"And are you here," said Trompe-la-Mort, "to interfere between monsieur the public prosecutor and me? Am I so happy as to be the object of one of those negotiations in which your talents shine so brightly?--Here, Monsieur le Comte," the convict went on, "not to waste time so precious as yours is, read these--they are samples of my wares."
And he held out to Monsieur de Granville three letters, which he took out of his breast-pocket.
"And while you are studying them, I will, with your permission, have a little talk with this gentleman."
"You do me great honor," said Corentin, who could not help giving a little shiver.
"You achieved a perfect success in our business," said Jacques Collin. "I was beaten," he added lightly, in the tone of a gambler who has lost his money, "but you left some men on the field--your victory cost you dear."
"Yes," said Corentin, taking up the jest, "you lost your queen, and I lost my two castles."
"Oh! Contenson was a mere pawn," said Jacques Collin scornfully; "you may easily replace him. You really are--allow me to praise you to your face--you are, on my word of honor, a magnificent man."
"No,