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Not long after Mademoiselle de Watteville's confession a clerk came to Besancon from Monsieur Leopold Hannequin, armed with a power of attorney from Albert; he called first on Monsieur Girardet, begging his assistance in selling the house belonging to Monsieur Savaron. The attorney undertook to do this out of friendship for Albert.
No one guessed that a little girl, supposed to be a witless goose, had simply made up her mind to get a closer view of the lawyer Savaron's private study. Also, Savaron, faithful to his seclusion, went nowhere. Having no friends to cry him up, and seeing no one, he increased the chances of being forgotten which are common to strangers in Besancon.
Amedee had cost her many quarrels and scoldings, and, indeed, she knew him only too well; while this Albert Savaron offered many enigmas to be solved. "Albert Savaron de Savarus," she repeated to herself. Now, to see him, to catch sight of him! This was the desire of the girl to whom desire was hitherto unknown.
"I must see the letters which Monsieur Savaron sends to the post by Jerome." "But what for?" said Mariette in alarm. "Oh! merely to read them, and you yourself shall post them afterwards. It will cause a little delay; that is all." At this moment they went into church, and each of them, instead of reading the order of Mass, fell into her own train of thought.
Get the famous lawyer Savaron engage him at once, lest Chantonnit should place the interests of the village in his hands. Besides," she added, "les Rouxey will some day be mine not for a long time yet, I trust. Well, then do not leave me with a lawsuit on my hands. I like this place, I shall often live here, and add to it as much as possible.
On those banks," and she pointed to the feet of the two hills, "I shall cut flowerbeds and make the loveliest English gardens. Let us go to Besancon and bring back with us the Abbe de Grancey, Monsieur Savaron, and my mother, if she cares to come. You can then make up your mind; but in your place I should have done so already. Your name is Watteville, and you are afraid of a fight!
If this whim could be brought home to the hearts of the citizens, it would lead to considerable outlay; and this expenditure would benefit the influential contractor. Albert Savaron de Savarus opined that the water of the river was good for nothing but to flow under the suspension bridge, and that the only drinkable water was that from Arcier.
"It was Monsieur Girardet, no doubt, who ought to have delivered it; but Jerome says that poor Monsieur Girardet, who was much attached to lawyer Savaron, was as much upset as he was. So he who came so mysteriously, as Mademoiselle Galard says, is gone away just as mysteriously."
The clerk from Paris sold the furniture, and with the proceeds could repay some money owed by Savaron to Girardet, who on the occasion of his inexplicable departure had lent him five thousand francs while undertaking to collect his assets.
Just let my old uncle des Racquets die, poor dear man, and I'll sell my practice and be a man of leisure, with fifty thou sand francs a year. My wife is a Claes, I'm allied to the great families. The deuce! we'll see if those Courtevilles and Magalhens and Savaron de Savarus will refuse to come and dine with a Pierquin-Claes-Molina-Nourho.
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