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Attributing his tardiness to some new misfortune, she thought of writing to him, when at last, on Tuesday, the day which the countess had chosen for her reception-day, but not until the room was already quite full of company, the servant announced, "M. Palmer, M. de Brevan!"
Finally, at the end of eighteen months' residence in America, M. Elgin declared that the moment had come when Sarah might appear on the stage. "It was, therefore, twenty-eight months after their parting in Homburg, that M. de Brevan received, one morning, the following note: "'Come to-night, at nine o'clock, to M. Thomas Elgin's house in Circus Street, and be prepared for a surprise.
"It is not so much the story itself," he said at last, "that overcomes me so completely. What I cannot comprehend is, how this woman could refuse the man whose accomplice she had been the small pittance he required in order to evade justice, and to escape to Belgium." "Nevertheless, that was so," repeated M. de Brevan; and then he added emphatically, "at least, they say so."
What other mysterious aim could she have in view? "Ah! I cannot make it out," sighed Daniel. "I must consult Brevan." On his writing-table he found that important and urgent work which the minister had intrusted to his hands still unfinished. But the minister, the department, his position, his preferment, all these considerations weighed as nothing in comparison with his passion.
And, if ever Miss Henrietta should be compelled to leave her father's house, you will hand the money over to her." M. de Brevan had turned very pale. "Excuse me," he said, "excuse me." "What?" "Well, it seems to me it would be more suitable to leave some one else in charge of that." "Whom?" "Oh! I do not know, a more experienced man!
By that unpleasant maid evidently, whom he had seen that morning; by that very Clarissa in whom Henrietta put such confidence. If that was so, and it was but too probable, to whom should he send his letters hereafter? Here, again, he saw himself reduced to Maxime de Brevan as the only one who could convey news from him to Henrietta.
"Give me a candlestick, Chevassat," said the woman to her husband. And with her lighted candle she went ahead, lighting M. de Brevan and Henrietta, and stopping at every landing to praise the neatness of the house. At last, in the fifth story, at the entrance to a dark passage, she opened a door, and said, "Here we are! The young lady will see how nice it is."
In his furious rage, he might have left the house, rushed to a police-officer, and confessed to him every thing, laying the evidence he had in his hands before a magistrate, and" "You say," replied Brevan, interrupting him with a dry, sardonic laugh, "precisely what all the advocates of the fair American said at that time.
And, lightly jumping down, he rang the bell at the door, which opened immediately. The room of the concierge was still light. M. de Brevan walked straight up to it, and opened the door like a man who is at home in a house. "It is I," he said. A man and a woman, the concierge and his wife, who had been dozing, her nose in a paper, started up suddenly. "Monsieur Maxime!" they said with one voice.
At last he said, "Miss Henrietta, you must give me time before I tell you any more. I know nothing positive; and I dare say I am unnecessarily alarmed. I will tell you all as soon as I am better informed." "When will that be?" "To-night, if I can find Maxime de Brevan at home, as I hope I shall do; if I miss him, you must wait till to-morrow."
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