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themselves； they are expected and provided for； you are in a position
recognized by the law。If I were not an old man with white hair； I
would thrash those fools I hear reading aloud in the streets such an
abomination as this；〃 added the worthy notary； taking up a paper； 〃'At
the request of Dame Natalie Evangelista； wife of Paul…Francois…Joseph；
Comte de Manerville； separated from him as to worldly goods and
chattels by the Lower court of the department of the Seine'〃
〃Yes； and now separated in body；〃 said Paul。
〃Ah！〃 exclaimed the old man。
〃Oh！ against my wife's will；〃 added the count； hastily。 〃I was forced
to deceive her； she did not know that I was leaving her。〃
〃You have left her？〃
〃My passage is taken； I sail for Calcutta on the 'Belle…Amelie。'〃
〃Two day's hence！〃 cried the notary。 〃Then； Monsieur le comte； we
shall never meet again。〃
〃You are only seventy…three； my dear Mathias； and you have the gout；
the brevet of old age。 When I return I shall find you still afoot。
Your good head and heart will be as sound as ever； and you will help
me to reconstruct what is now a shaken edifice。 I intend to make a
noble fortune in seven years。 I shall be only forty on my return。 All
is still possible at that age。〃
〃You？〃 said Mathias； with a gesture of amazement；you； Monsieur le
comte； to undertake commerce！ How can you even think of it？〃
〃I am no longer Monsieur le comte； dear Mathias。 My passage is taken
under the name of Camille； one of my mother's baptismal names。 I have
acquirements which will enable me to make my fortune otherwise than in
business。 Commerce； at any rate； will be only my final chance。 I start
with a sum in hand sufficient for the redemption of my future on a
large scale。〃
〃Where is that money？〃
〃A friend is to send it to me。〃
The old man dropped his fork as he heard the word 〃friend；〃 not in
surprise； not scoffingly； but in grief； his look and manner expressed
the pain he felt in finding Paul under the influence of a deceitful
illusion； his practised eye fathomed a gulf where the count saw
nothing but solid ground。
〃I have been fifty years in the notariat；〃 he said； 〃and I never yet
knew a ruined man whose friend would lend him money。〃
〃You don't know de Marsay。 I am certain that he has sold out some of
his investments already； and to…morrow you will receive from him a
bill of exchange for one hundred and fifty thousand francs。〃
〃I hope I may。 If that be so； cannot your friend settle your
difficulties here？ You could live quietly at Lanstrac for five or six
years on your wife's income； and so recover yourself。〃
〃No assignment or economy on my part could pay off fifteen hundred
thousand francs of debt； in which my wife is involved to the amount of
five hundred and fifty thousand。〃
〃You cannot mean to say that in four years you have incurred a million
and a half of debt？〃
〃Nothing is more certain； Mathias。 Did I not give those diamonds to my
wife？ Did I not spend the hundred and fifty thousand I received from
the sale of Madame Evangelista's house； in the arrangement of my house
in Paris？ Was I not forced to use other money for the first payments
on that property demanded by the marriage contract？ I was even forced
to sell out Natalie's forty thousand a year in the Funds to complete
the purchase of Auzac and Saint…Froult。 We sold at eighty…seven；
therefore I became in debt for over two hundred thousand francs within
a month after my marriage。 That left us only sixty…seven thousand
francs a year； but we spent fully three times as much every year。 Add
all that up； together with rates of interest to usurers； and you will
soon find a million。〃
〃Br…r…r！〃 exclaimed the old notary。 〃Go on。 What next？〃
〃Well； I wanted； in the first place； to complete for my wife that set
of jewels of which she had the pearl necklace clasped by the family
diamond； the 'Discreto；' and her mother's ear…rings。 I paid a hundred
thousand francs for a coronet of diamond wheat…ears。 There's eleven
hundred thousand。 And now I find I owe the fortune of my wife； which
amounts to three hundred and sixty…six thousand francs of her 'dot。'〃
〃But；〃 said Mathias； 〃if Madame la comtesse had given up her diamonds
and you had pledged your income you could have pacified your creditors
and have paid them off in time。〃
〃When a man is down； Mathias； when his property is covered with
mortgages； when his wife's claims take precedence of his creditors'；
and when that man has notes out for a hundred thousand francs which he
must pay （and I hope I can do so out of the increased value of my
property here）； what you propose is not possible。〃
〃This is dreadful！〃 cried Mathias； 〃would you sell Belle…Rose with the
vintage of 1825 still in the cellars？〃
〃I cannot help myself。〃
〃Belle…Rose is worth six hundred thousand francs。〃
〃Natalie will buy it in； I have advised her to do so。〃
〃I might push the price to seven hundred thousand； and the farms are
worth a hundred thousand each。〃
〃Then if the house in Bordeaux can be sold for two hundred thousand〃
〃Solonet will give more than that； he wants it。 He is retiring with a
handsome property made by gambling on the Funds。 He has sold his
practice for three hundred thousand francs； and marries a mulatto
woman。 God knows how she got her money； but they say it amounts to
millions。 A notary gambling in stocks！ a notary marrying a black
woman！ What an age！ It is said that he speculates for your mother…in…
law with her funds。〃
〃She has greatly improved Lanstrac and taken great pains with its
cultivation。 She has amply repaid me for the use of it。〃
〃I shouldn't have thought her capable of that。〃
〃She is so kind and so devoted； she has always paid Natalie's debts
during the three months she spent with us every year in Paris。〃
〃She could well afford to do so； for she gets her living out of
Lanstrac；〃 said Mathias。 〃She！ grown economical！ what a miracle！ I am
told she has just bought the domain of Grainrouge between Lanstrac and
Grassol； so that if the Lanstrac avenue were extended to the high…
road； you would drive four and a half miles through your own property
to reach the house。 She paid one hundred thousand francs down for
Grainrouge。〃
〃She is as handsome as ever；〃 said Paul； 〃country life preserves her
freshness； I don't mean to go to Lanstrac and bid her good…bye； her
heart would bleed for me too much。〃
〃You would go in vain； she is now in Paris。 She probably arrived there
as you left。〃
〃No doubt she had heard of the sale of my property and came to help
me。 I have no complaint to make of life； Mathias。 I am truly loved；
as much as any man ever could be here below； beloved by two women who
outdo each other in devotion； they are even jealous of each other； the
daughter blames the mother for loving me too much； and the mother
reproaches the daughter for what she cal