Works of Honore De Balzac

by Honoré de Balzac

  (Enter Lafouraille) And who are you? (Lafouraille makes a sign) A new

  one coming?

  Lafouraille

  No, an old one.

  Joseph

  Oh, he whose mark is in the garden.

  Lafouraille

  Can he be waiting here? He intended to be here. (Buteux appears.)

  Joseph

  Why, there will be three of you.

  Lafouraille (pointing to Joseph)

  There will be four of us.

  Joseph And what do you come to do at this hour? Do you want to snatch up everything here?

  Lafouraille

  He takes us for thieves!

  Buteux We prove that we can be, when we are down in our luck; but we never say so.

  Lafouraille

  That is, we make money, like other people.

  Joseph

  But his grace the duke is going —

  Lafouraille Your duke cannot return home before two o’clock, and that gives us time enough: do not therefore interlard with anxious thought the professional dish which we have to serve —

  Buteux

  And serve hot.

  (Vautrin wears a brown coat, blue trousers, and a black waistcoat. His hair is short and he is got up as an imitation of Napoleon in undress. As he enters he abruptly puts out the candle and draws the slide of his dark lantern.)

  Vautrin What! You have lights here! You think yourselves still members of respectable society. I can understand that this fool should ignore the first elements of sane conduct — but you others! (To Buteux, as he points out Joseph to him) Put wool in this fellow’s ears, and talk with him over there. (To Lafouraille) And what of the youngster?

  Lafouraille

  He is kept well out of sight.

  Vautrin

  In what place?

  Lafouraille

  In the other rookery of Giroflee’s woman, near here, behind the

  Invalides.

  Vautrin

  And see that he does not escape like that slippery eel of a

  Saint-Charles, that madman, who came for the purpose of breaking up

  our establishment — for I — but I never threaten.

  Lafouraille Upon the youngster’s safety I will stake my head! Philosopher has put buskins on his hands and frills on his feet, he cannot stir hand or foot, and will be given up only to me. As for the other, who could help it? Poor Giroflee cannot resist strong liquors, and Blondet knew it.

  Vautrin

  What did Raoul say?

  Lafouraille

  He made a terrible uproar; and swore he was disgraced. Fortunately

  Philosopher is insensible to metaphors.

  Vautrin Do you think the boy wishes for a fight to the death? A young man is fearful; he has the courage to conceal his terror and the folly to allow himself to be killed. I hope they prevent him from writing to any one.

  Lafouraille (aside)

  We are in for it! (Aloud) I can conceal nothing from you, before he

  was fastened up the prince sent little Nini with a letter to the

  Christoval house.

  Vautrin

  To Inez?

  Lafouraille

  To Inez.

  Vautrin

  He wrote a lot of rubbish, I’ll warrant.

  Lafouraille

  A pack of lies and absurdities.

  Vautrin (to Joseph)

  Hello there! You — the honest man.

  Buteux (leading Joseph to Vautrin)

  You had better explain things to the master, as he desires.

  Joseph It seems to me that I am not unreasonable to ask what risk I am to run, and what profit is to accrue to me.

  Vautrin Time is short, speech long, let us employ the former and drop the latter. There are two lives in peril, that of a man I am interested in, and that of a musketeer which I consider useless: we are going to crush him.

  Joseph What! Do you mean monsieur the marquis? I will have nothing to do with it.

  Lafouraille

  You have no say in the matter of your consent.

  Buteux

  We have captured him. Look you, my friend, when the wine is drawn —

  Joseph

  If it is bad, it must not be drunk.

  Vautrin And you refuse to pledge me in a glass? He who thinks calculates, and he who calculates betrays.

  Joseph

  Your calculations lead to the scaffold.

  Vautrin Enough! You tire me. Your master is to fight a duel to-morrow. In this duel one of the combatants will never leave the ground alive; imagine that the duel has taken place, and that your master has had no fair chance.

  Buteux

  That is just it.

  Lafouraille

  The master is as deep as fate.

  Joseph

  A fine condition to be in.

  Buteux

  The devil to pay and no pitch hot!

  Vautrin (to Joseph, pointing out Lafouraille and Buteux)

  You will conceal these two.

  Joseph

  Where?

  Vautrin I tell you, you must conceal them. When all are asleep in the house, excepting us, you must send them up to the musketeer’s room. (To Buteux and Lafouraille) Try to go there without him; you must be cautions and adroit; the window of his room overlooks the court. (Whispers in their ears) Throw him down. It will be a case of despair (turning to Joseph), and suicide will be a ground for averting suspicion from all.

  SCENE THIRD.

  Vautrin (alone) All is saved! There is only one suspect among us, and I will change that state of affairs. Blondet is the traitor, and in this case bad debts will make good friends, for I will point him out to the duke in a friendly manner as the murderer of Vicomte de Langeac. I must finally discover the motive of the duchess’s singular behavior. If what I learn explains the suicide of the marquis, what a master stroke it will be!

  SCENE FOURTH.

  Joseph and Vautrin.

  Joseph Your men are well concealed, but you doubtless intend to leave the house?

  Vautrin

  No, I am going to do some reading in the study of the Duc de

  Montsorel.

  Joseph

  But if he comes home, won’t you be afraid?

  Vautrin

  If I feared anything, would I be master of you all?

  Joseph

  But where are you going?

  Vautrin

  You are very curious.

  SCENE FIFTH.

  Joseph (alone) There, he is disposed of for the moment, his two fellows likewise; I hold them, and, as I don’t want to have anything to do with the affair, I am going —

  SCENE SIXTH Joseph, a footman; and afterwards Saint-Charles.

  The footman

  Monsieur Joseph, some one is asking for you.

  Joseph

  At this hour?

  Saint-Charles

  It is I.

  Joseph (to the footman)

  You may go.

  Saint-Charles His grace the duke cannot come home until after the king’s retirement for the night. The duchess is on her way home. I wish to speak to her privately and wait for her here.

  Joseph

  Here?

  Saint-Charles

  Here.

  Joseph (aside)

  O my God! And Jacques —

  Saint-Charles

  If it inconveniences you —

  Joseph

  Not in the least.

  Saint-Charles

  Tell me the truth, you are expecting some one?

  Joseph

  I am expecting the duchess.

  Saint-Charles

  And not Jacques Collin?

  Joseph

  Oh! don’t talk to me about that man, you make me shudder.

  Saint-Charles Collin is mixed up with some business that might bring him here. You must have seen him lately. I have no time to pump you, and I have no need to bribe, but you must choose between him and me, and pretty qui
ckly, too.

  Joseph

  What do you require of me?

  Saint-Charles

  To tell me everything that takes place here.

  Joseph Well, the latest thing is the duel of the marquis; he fights to-morrow with Monsieur de Frescas.

  Saint-Charles

  What next?

  Joseph

  I see her grace the duchess has just returned.

  SCENE SEVENTH.

  Saint-Charles (alone) What a timid beast he is! This duel is a capital excuse for speaking with the duchess. The duke did not understand me, he saw in me nothing but a tool, to be taken up and dropped at pleasure. Did he not, by imposing silence upon me towards his wife, betray his suspicion that I was dangerous to him? The patrimony of the strong is the faculty of utilizing the faults of a neighbor. I have already devoured several patrimonies, and my appetite is still good.

  SCENE EIGHTH.

  Saint-Charles, the Duchesse de Montsorel and Mademoiselle de Vaudrey.

  (Saint-Charles disappears till the two ladies have passed, and remains at the back, while they come to the front of the stage.)

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey

  You are quite worn out.

  The Duchesse de Montsorel (sinking into an armchair)

  Yes; I am dead! In despair —

  Saint-Charles (coming forward)

  Madame the duchess.

  The Duchess Ah! I had forgotten! Sir, it is impossible at this moment to grant you the interview you ask. To-morrow — or later in the day.

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey (to Saint-Charles)

  My niece, sir, is not in a condition to listen to you.

  Saint-Charles

  To-morrow, ladies, it will be too late! The life of your son, the

  Marquis de Montsorel, who fights a duel to-morrow with Monsieur de

  Frescas, is threatened.

  The Duchess

  The duel is indeed a frightful thing.

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey (in a low tone to the duchess)

  You have already forgotten that Raoul is a stranger to you.

  The Duchess (to Saint-Charles)

  Sir, my son will know how to acquit himself.

  Saint-Charles May I venture to inform you of facts which ordinarily would be kept from a mother? Your son will be killed without any fighting. His adversary’s servants are bravoes, wretches of whom he is the ringleader.

  The Duchess

  And what proof have you of this?

  Saint-Charles A former steward of Monsieur de Frescas has offered me a vast sum if I would join in this foul conspiracy against the Christoval family. In order to make time, I pretended to assent; but just as I was on my way to warn the authorities, I was dashed to the ground by two men who came by at full speed, and I lost consciousness; they administered to me in this condition a powerful narcotic, thrust me into a cab, and when I came to myself, I was in a den of criminals. Recovering my self-possession, I escaped from my confinement, and set out to track these dare-devils.

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey You sometimes come here to see Monsieur de Montsorel, according to what Joseph tells us?

  Saint-Charles

  Yes, madame.

  The Duchess

  And who, pray, may you be, sir?

  Saint-Charles I am a private detective, whom his grace the duke distrusts, and I am hired for clearing up mysterious occurrences.

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey (to the duchess)

  O Louise!

  The Duchess (fixing her eyes on Saint-Charles)

  And who has had the impertinence to send you to address me?

  Saint-Charles A sense of your danger brings me here. I am paid to be your enemy. You can keep silence as well as I; prove that your protection is more advantageous to me than the hollow promises of the duke, and I can assure you the victory. But time presses, the duke will soon be here, and if he finds us together, the success of our undertaking would be endangered.

  The Duchess (to Mademoiselle de Vaudrey) Ah! we may still hope! (To Saint-Charles) And what were you going to do at the house of Monsieur de Frescas?

  Saint-Charles

  That which, at present, I am doing at yours.

  The Duchess

  Silence, sir.

  Saint-Charles Your grace has given me no answer; the duke has my word, and he is very powerful.

  The Duchess And I, sir, am immensely rich; but do not expect to take advantage of me. (She rises) I will never be the dupe of Monsieur de Montsorel, I recognize his trickery in this secret interview, which you had asked for. (With emphasis) Let me complete your information. Monsieur de Frescas is not a wretch; his servants are not assassins; he belongs to a family as rich as it is noble, and he is about to marry the Princesse d’Arjos.

  Saint-Charles Yes, madame, a Mexican envoy has produced letters from Monsieur de Christoval, and documents remarkably authentic. You have sent for a secretary of the Spanish legation, who has endorsed them: seals, stamps, authentications — ah! all are flawless.

  The Duchess

  Yes, sir, the documents are unassailable.

  Saint-Charles

  You are very much interested, madame, in their being proved forgeries,

  I presume?

  The Duchess (to Mademoiselle de Vaudrey)

  Never has such torture as this wrung the heart of a mother!

  Saint-Charles (aside)

  Whose side shall I take, husband’s or wife’s?

  The Duchess

  Sir, any sum you may ask shall be yours, if you can prove to me that

  Monsieur Raoul de Frescas —

  Saint-Charles

  Is a criminal?

  The Duchess

  No, but a child —

  Saint-Charles

  You mean your child, don’t you?

  The Duchess (forgetting herself)

  Yes, yes! Be my deliverer, and I will be your eternal protector. (To

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey) Ah me! What have I said? (To Saint-Charles)

  Where is Raoul?

  Saint-Charles He has disappeared, and this steward of his, who procured the forged deeds in Rue Oblin, and doubtless played the part of the Mexican envoy, is one of the most astute of criminals. (The duchess starts.) Oh, you need not be alarmed; he is too clever to shed blood; but he is more formidable than those who shed it recklessly; and such a man is the guardian of Raoul.

  The Duchess

  My whole fortune for his life!

  Saint-Charles I am for you, madame. (Aside) I know all, and can choose which side I like.

  SCENE NINTH.

  The same persons, the Duc de Montsorel and a footman.

  The Duke Ah, well you are getting your own way; there is talk of nothing else but the fortune and coming marriage of Monsieur de Frescas; but of course he can claim a family. (Whispers to the Duchesse de Montsorel) He has a mother. (Perceiving Saint-Charles) What! You here, chevalier, and with the duchess?

  Saint-Charles (taking the duke aside) Your grace will approve of what I have done. (Aloud) You have been at the palace and I thought it necessary to warn the duchess of the danger which threatens her only son, the marquis; he is likely to be murdered.

  The Duke

  Murdered!

  Saint-Charles

  But your grace will listen to my advice —

  The Duke Come into my study, my friend, and let us at once take steps to avert this catastrophe.

  Saint-Charles (exchanging a look of intelligence with the duchess) I have strange things to tell your grace. (Aside) I am certainly going to take the duke’s part.

  SCENE TENTH.

  The Duchess, Mademoiselle de Vaudrey and Vautrin.

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey

  If Raoul is your son, how vile is the company he keeps.

  The Duchess

  An angel would purify hell itself.

  (Vautrin half opens with caution a French casement that leads to the garden, where he has been listening to the preceding conversation.)

  Vautrin
(aside)

  I know all. Two brothers cannot fight a duel. Ah, here is my duchess!

  (Aloud) Ladies!

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey

  A man! Help! Help!

  The Duchess

  It is he!

  Vautrin (to the duchess)

  Silence! Women can do nothing but cry out. (To Mademoiselle de

  Vaudrey) Mademoiselle de Vaudrey, run to the chamber of the marquis.

  Two infamous murderers are there; be quick, before they cut out his

  throat. But let the wretches be seized without making a disturbance.

  (To the duchess) Stay where you are, madame.

  The Duchess

  Go, dear aunt; have no fear for me.

  Vautrin (aside) My rascals will be vastly surprised. What will they think? This is the way I bring down judgment upon them.

  (A noise is heard.)

  SCENE ELEVENTH.

  The Duchess and Vautrin.

  The Duchess The whole house is in commotion! What will be said, when it is known that I am here?

  Vautrin

  Let us hope that the foundling will be saved.

  The Duchess

  But you are known here, and the duke is with —

  Vautrin

  The Chevalier de Saint-Charles. I am imperturbed; you will defend me.

  The Duchess

  I?

  Vautrin

  Yes, you. Or you will never again see your son, Fernand de Montsorel.

  The Duchess

  Raoul is undoubtedly my son then?

  Vautrin He is — I hold in my possession complete proofs of your innocence, and — your son.

  The Duchess

  You! You shall not leave me until —

  SCENE TWELFTH.

  The same persons and Mademoiselle de Vaudrey on one side of the stage, Saint-Charles on the other, and domestics.

  Mademoiselle de Vaudrey

  Here he is! (To Vautrin) Begone! At once!

  The Duchess (to Mademoiselle de Vaudrey)

  You are ruining everything.

  Saint-Charles (to the servants) Behold their ringleader and accomplice! Whatever he may say, seize him!

  The Duchess (to the company)

  I command you to leave me alone with this man.

  Vautrin

  What is it, chevalier?

  Saint-Charles

  You are a puzzle to me, baron.

  Vautrin (whispering to the duchess) You behold in this man the murderer of the viscount whom you loved so well.

  The Duchess

  He the murderer?

  Vautrin (to the duchess) Let him be closely watched, or he will slip through your fingers like money.