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Updated: June 27, 2025
She could give vent to her despair. Exhausted at her efforts at self-restraint during the presence of Clameran, she felt weary and crushed in body and spirit. She had scarcely strength to drag herself up to her chamber, and lock the door. Now there was no room for doubt; her fears had become realities.
Stay here, and during my absence be very intimate at your devoted mother's. Be the most dutiful of sons. Abuse me as much as you please to her; and, above all, don't indulge in any folly; make no demands for money; keep your eyes open. Good-by. To-morrow evening I will be at Oloron talking with this new Clameran."
With what delight would she undergo the greatest privations for his sake! If she could but send him enough money to support him comfortably! But no; she could not take this step without compromising herself and her family. Prudence forbade her acceptance of the intervention of Louis de Clameran.
A thousand confused memories rushed through his mind. Like one in a dream, he tottered toward the door, gasping, in a smothered, broken voice: "My brother! oh, my brother!" Hurriedly passing by the frightened servant, he ran downstairs. In the passage stood a man: it was Louis de Clameran.
Gaston kept up an uninterrupted stream of questions. He wished to know all that had happened during his absence. "What about Clameran?" he abruptly asked. Louis hesitated a moment. Should he tell the truth, or not? "I have sold Clameran," he finally said. "The chateau too?" "Yes."
"Perhaps he has written to him?" "I'll bet you my head he has not. Having your orders to watch his correspondence, I invented a little system which informs me every time he touches a pen; during the last twenty-four hours the pens have not been touched." "Clameran went out yesterday." "But the man who followed him says he wrote nothing on the way." "Then we have time yet!" cried Verduret. "Hurry!
He was supposed to be dead; but as there was no positive proof of his death, and his body could not be found, the law was compelled to yield to the clamor of public opinion. The case was brought before the assize court; and, in default of appearance, Gaston de Clameran was sentenced to several years of close confinement. As to Louis de Clameran, no one knew positively what had become of him.
After the price of the chateau was spent, to what could he look forward? Beggary. "But first of all," he thought, "I must ascertain the truth of the old woman's story; then I will decide upon a plan." This was why, the next day, after receiving the five thousand two hundred and eighty francs from Fougeroux, Louis de Clameran set out for London.
Clameran had a wonderful faculty of self-control; he had so schooled himself that his face never betrayed what was passing in his mind. But this news was so startling, so strange, so pregnant of danger, that his usual assurance deserted him. He detected a peculiar look of irony in the banker's eye.
After long thought, he decided that an accusation of poisoning must come from Oloron. He would go there and work upon "public opinion," so that, to satisfy the townspeople, the authorities would order a post-mortem examination of Gaston. But this mode of proceeding required time; and Clameran would certainly escape before another day passed over his head.
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