Dividing the Proceeds.
The apartment on the second floor of the house in the Rue Saint-Germain-des-Pres, where Albert de Morcerf had selected a home for his mother, was let to a very mysterious person.
This was a man whose face the concierge himself had never seen, for in the winter his chin was buried in one of the large red handkerchiefs worn by gentlemen's coachmen on a cold night, and in the summer he made a point of always blowing his nose just as he approached the door.Contrary to custom, this gentleman had not been watched, for as the report ran that he was a person of high rank, and one who would allow no impertinent interference, his incognito was strictly respected.
His visits were tolerably regular, though occasionally he appeared a little before or after his time, but generally, both in summer and winter, he took possession of his apartment about four o'clock, though he never spent the night there.At half-past three in the winter the fire was lighted by the discreet servant, who had the superintendence of the little apartment, and in the summer ices were placed on the table at the same hour.At four o'clock, as we have already stated, the mysterious personage arrived.Twenty minutes afterwards a carriage stopped at the house, a lady alighted in a black or dark blue dress, and always thickly veiled; she passed like a shadow through the lodge, and ran up-stairs without a sound escaping under the touch of her light foot.No one ever asked her where she was going.Her face, therefore, like that of the gentleman, was perfectly unknown to the two concierges, who were perhaps unequalled throughout the capital for discretion.We need not say she stopped at the second floor.Then she tapped in a peculiar manner at a door, which after being opened to admit her was again fastened, and curiosity penetrated no farther.They used the same precautions in leaving as in entering the house.The lady always left first, and as soon as she had stepped into her carriage, it drove away, sometimes towards the right hand, sometimes to the left; then about twenty minutes afterwards the gentleman would also leave, buried in his cravat or concealed by his handkerchief.
The day after Monte Cristo had called upon Danglars, the mysterious lodger entered at ten o'clock in the morning instead of four in the afternoon.Almost directly afterwards, without the usual interval of time, a cab arrived, and the veiled lady ran hastily up-stairs.The door opened, but before it could be closed, the lady exclaimed:
"Oh, Lucien -- oh, my friend!" The concierge therefore heard for the first time that the lodger's name was Lucien; still, as he was the very perfection of a door-keeper, he made up his mind not to tell his wife."Well, what is the matter, my dear?" asked the gentleman whose name the lady's agitation revealed; "tell me what is the matter.""Oh, Lucien, can I confide in you?"
"Of course, you know you can do so.But what can be the matter? Your note of this morning has completely bewildered me.This precipitation -- this unusual appointment.Come, ease me of my anxiety, or else frighten me at once.""Lucien, a great event has happened!" said the lady, glancing inquiringly at Lucien, -- "M.Danglars left last night!""Left? -- M.Danglars left? Where has he gone?""I do not know."
"What do you mean? Has he gone intending not to return?""Undoubtedly; -- at ten o'clock at night his horses took him to the barrier of Charenton; there a post-chaise was waiting for him -- he entered it with his valet de chambre, saying that he was going to Fontainebleau.""Then what did you mean" --
"Stay -- he left a letter for me."
"A letter?"
"Yes; read it." And the baroness took from her pocket a letter which she gave to Debray.Debray paused a moment before reading, as if trying to guess its contents, or perhaps while making up his mind how to act, whatever it might contain.No doubt his ideas were arranged in a few minutes, for he began reading the letter which caused so much uneasiness in the heart of the baroness, and which ran as follows: --"Madame and most faithful wife."
Debray mechanically stopped and looked at the baroness, whose face became covered with blushes."Read," she said.
Debray continued: --
"When you receive this, you will no longer have a husband.
Oh, you need not be alarmed, you will only have lost him as you have lost your daughter; I mean that I shall be travelling on one of the thirty or forty roads leading out of France.I owe you some explanations for my conduct, and as you are a woman that can perfectly understand me, I will give them.Listen, then.I received this morning five millions which I paid away; almost directly afterwards another demand for the same sum was presented to me; I put this creditor off till to-morrow and I intend leaving to-day, to escape that to-morrow, which would be rather too unpleasant for me to endure.You understand this, do you not, my most precious wife? I say you understand this, because you are as conversant with my affairs as I am;indeed, I think you understand them better, since I am ignorant of what has become of a considerable portion of my fortune, once very tolerable, while I am sure, madame, that you know perfectly well.For women have infallible instincts; they can even explain the marvellous by an algebraic calculation they have invented; but I, who only understand my own figures, know nothing more than that one day these figures deceived me.Have you admired the rapidity of my fall? Have you been slightly dazzled at the sudden fusion of my ingots? I confess I have seen nothing but the fire; let us hope you have found some gold among the ashes.
