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The police soon set inquiries on foot, and have found the mother a girl named Clarisse." Had not Lecoq suddenly grasped Catenac's arm, the lawyer would have flown at Martin Rigal's throat. "Villain, traitor!" panted he, "you have sold me!" "My papers have been stolen," faltered the banker.
"I think that it is an excellent one, but what part am I to play in it?" "In taking the part of Chairman of the Company. I could not do so, being merely the proprietor of a Servant's Registry Office. Hortebise, as a doctor, and more than all a homeopath, would inspire no confidence, and Catenac's legal profession prevents him appearing in the matter openly. He will act as our legal adviser."
"To-morrow the poor fellow will have his hands full, for there is to be a general meeting, when we shall hear all about Catenac's ideas, and I shall be glad to know what Croisenois's conduct will be when he knows what he is wanted for." It was growing late, and the guests began to drop off. Dr. Hortebise signalled to Paul, and they left the house together.
"No; and on my last visit I plainly told him that I was getting sick of all this mystery; and he said that he himself was tired, and was sorry that he had ever meddled in the affair." Tantaine was not surprised at hearing this, and accounted for Catenac's change of front by the threats of Mascarin. "Well, what do you draw from this?" asked he. "That Catenac has no more information than I have.
But Hortebise was not satisfied with Catenac's assurance, and looked for confirmation from Mascarin. "Lecoq has nothing to do with us," repeated his friend. "The fool said that his position prevented him from giving his time to any investigation of a private nature, which, by the way, is quite true.
Hortebise had unluckily quarrelled with his family. Catenac's relatives were poor, and I, well, I had no family. I stood alone. We were literally starving, and I was the only one earning money. I prepared pupils for the military colleges, but as I only earned twenty-five sous a day by cramming a dull boy's brain with algebra and geometry, that was not enough to feed us all.
About three weeks ago, one morning, I had just finished with half a dozen clients at my office in the Rue de Fame, when my servant brought me Catenac's card. After some talk, he asked me if I could find out a person that he had utterly lost sight of. Of course I said, yes, I could.
The expression in Perpignan's face changed from astonishment to fear. "Why, this Mascarin knows everything," muttered he. "No," replied Tantaine, "my master does not know everything, and the proof of this is, that I have come to ask you what occurred between Catenac's client and yourself, and this is the service that we expect from you." "Well, if I must, I must.
But he has even gone farther than this. More than once he has said of himself, "I have passed through the vilest masses of corruption." In his office in the Rue Jacob he has heard whispered conferences which were enough to bring down the roof above his head. Of course this was the most lucrative business that passed into Catenac's hands.
Catenac's sunken eyes blazed as he thought of the prospective millions. "May the devil fly away with all scruples!" cried he. "My friends, I am yours soul and body; you may rely on your devoted Catenac." The doctor and Mascarin exchanged a look of triumph. "Of course we share and share alike," observed the lawyer.
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