Detective Lecoq - Complete Murder Mysteries. Emile Gaboriau
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said Sauvresy, “as I’ve become your man of business, give me my instructions, and some valuable hints. What is, or was, the amount of your fortune?”
“I haven’t the least idea.”
Sauvresy provided himself with a pencil and a large sheet of paper, ready to set down the figures. He seemed a little surprised.
“All right,” said he, “we’ll put x down as the unknown quantity of the assets: now for the liabilities.”
Hector made a superbly disdainful gesture.
“Don’t know, I’m sure, what they are.”
“What, can’t you give a rough guess?”
“Oh, perhaps. For instance, I owe between five and six hundred thousand francs to Clair & Co., five hundred thousand to Dervoy; about as much to Dubois, of Orleans—”
“Well?”
“I can’t remember any more.”
“But you must have a memorandum of your loans somewhere?”
“No.”
“You have at least kept your bonds, bills, and the sums of your various debts?”
“None of them. I burnt up all my papers yesterday.”
Sauvresy jumped up from his chair in astonishment; such a method of doing business seemed to him monstrous; he could not suppose that Hector was lying. Yet he was lying, and this affectation of ignorance was a conceit of the aristocratic man of the world. It was very noble, very distingue, to ruin one’s self without knowing how!
“But, my dear fellow,” cried Sauvresy, “how can we clear up your affairs?”
“Oh, don’t clear them up at all; do as I do—let the creditors act as they please, they will know how to settle it all, rest assured; let them sell out my property.”
“Never! Then you would be ruined, indeed!”
“Well, it’s only a little more or a little less.”
“What splendid disinterestedness!” thought Bertha; “what coolness, what admirable contempt of money, what noble disdain of the petty details which annoy common people! Was Sauvresy capable of all this?”
She could not at least accuse him of avarice, since for her he was as prodigal as a thief; he had never refused her anything; he anticipated her most extravagant fancies. Still he had a strong appetite for gain, and despite his large fortune, he retained the hereditary respect for money. When he had business with one of his farmers, he would rise very early, mount his horse, though it were mid-winter, and go several leagues in the snow to get a hundred crowns. He would have ruined himself for her if she had willed it, this she was convinced of; but he would have ruined himself economically, in an orderly way.
Sauvresy reflected.
“You are right,” said he to Hector, “your creditors ought to know your exact position. Who knows that they are not acting in concert? Their simultaneous refusal to lend you a hundred thousand makes me suspect it. I will go and see them.”
“Clair & Co., from whom I received my first loans, ought to be the best informed.”
“Well, I will see Clair & Co. But look here, do you know what you would do if you were reasonable?”
“What?”
“You would go to Paris with me, and both of us—”
Hector turned very pale, and his eyes shone.
“Never!” he interrupted, violently, “never!”
His “dear friends” still terrified him. What! Reappear on the theatre of his glory, now that he was fallen, ruined, ridiculous by his unsuccessful suicide? Sauvresy had held out his arms to him. Sauvresy was a noble fellow, and loved Hector sufficiently not to perceive the falseness of his position, and not to judge him a coward because he shrank from suicide. But the others!—
“Don’t talk to me about Paris,” said he in a calmer tone. “I shall never set my foot in it again.”
“All right—so much the better; stay with us; I sha’n’t complain of it, nor my wife either. Some fine day we’ll find you a pretty heiress in the neighborhood. But,” added Sauvresy, consulting his watch, “I must go if I don’t want to lose the train.”
“I’ll go to the station with you,” said Tremorel.
This was not solely from a friendly impulse. He wanted to ask Sauvresy to look after the articles left at the pawnbroker’s in the Rue de Condo, and to call on Jenny. Bertha, from her window, followed with her eyes the two friends; who, with arms interlocked, ascended the road toward Orcival. “What a difference,” thought she, “between these two men! My husband said he wished to be his friend’s steward; truly he has the air of a steward. What a noble gait the count has, what youthful ease, what real distinction! And yet I’m sure that my husband despises him, because he has ruined himself by dissipation. He affected—I saw it—an air of protection. Poor youth! But everything about the count betrays an innate or acquired superiority; even his name, Hector—how it sounds!” And she repeated “Hector” several times, as if it pleased her, adding, contemptuously, “My husband’s name is Clement!”
M. de Tremorel returned alone from the station, as gayly as a convalescent taking his first airing. As soon as Bertha saw him she left the window. She wished to remain alone, to reflect upon this event which had happened so suddenly, to analyze her sensations, listen to her presentiments, study her impressions and decide, if possible, upon her line of conduct. She only reappeared when the tea was set for her husband, who returned at eleven in the evening. Sauvresy was faint from hunger, thirst, and fatigue, but his face glowed with satisfaction.
“Victory!” exclaimed he, as he ate his soup. “We’ll snatch you from the hands of the Philistines yet. Parbleu! The finest feathers of your plumage will remain, after all, and you will be able to save enough for a good cosey nest.”
Bertha glanced at her husband.
“How is that?” said she.
“It’s very simple. At the very first, I guessed the game of our friend’s creditors. They reckoned on getting a sale of his effects; would have bought them in a lump dirt cheap, as it always happens, and then sold them in detail, dividing the profits of the operation.”
“And can you prevent that?” asked Tremorel, incredulously.
“Certainly. Ah, I’ve completely checkmated these gentlemen. I’ve succeeded by chance—I had the good luck to get them all together this evening. I said to them, you’ll let us sell this property as we please, voluntarily, or I’ll outbid you all, and spoil your cards. They looked at me in amazement. My notary, who was with me, remarked that I was Monsieur Sauvresy, worth two millions. Our gentlemen opened their eyes very wide, and consented to grant my request.”
Hector, notwithstanding what he had said, knew enough about his affairs to see that this action would save him a fortune—a small one, as compared with what he had possessed, yet a fortune.
The certainty of this delighted him, and moved by a momentary and sincere gratitude, he grasped both of Sauvresy’s hands in his.
“Ah, my friend,” cried he, “you give me my honor, after saving my life! How can I ever repay you?”
“By committing no imprudences or foolishnesses, except reasonable ones. Such as this,” added Sauvresy, leaning toward Bertha and embracing her.
“And there is nothing more to fear?”
“Nothing! Why I could have borrowed the two millions in an hour, and they knew it. But that’s not all. The search for you is suspended. I went to your house, took the responsibility of sending away all your servants except your valet and a groom. If you agree, we’ll send the horses to be sold to-morrow, and they’ll fetch a good price; your own saddle-horse shall