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Updated: June 9, 2025
A quarter of an hour later M. Verduret entered the room. Facing them, he told them how a friend of his named Caldas had fallen in love with a girl, and how that girl had been won from him by a man who cared nothing for her. "Caldas determined to revenge himself in his own way. It was his hand that saved the man on the very verge of disgrace.
Yet he had sufficient presence of mind to say: "It is the truth!" The banker looked wildly from Raoul to M. Verduret; then, fastening his haggard eyes on his wife, exclaimed: "It is false! you are all conspiring to deceive me! Proofs!" "You shall have proofs," replied M. Verduret, "but first listen."
"Ah, he is going away," he said, "he is going abroad." There was no mistaking the resentful, almost insulting intonation of the words, "going away!" M. Verduret took no notice of M. Fauvel's manner. "It appears to me," he continued, in an easy tone, "that Prosper's determination is a wise one. I merely wished him, before leaving Paris, to come and pay his respects to his former chief."
"Oh, ho! what is this?" cried M. Verduret; then turning toward the porter he cried, "Wait." He went into the next room, and closed the door behind him; there he found Prosper, anxious to know what was going on. "Here is a letter for you," said M. Verduret. He at once tore open the envelope. Some bank-notes dropped out; he counted them; there were ten. Prosper's face turned purple.
M. Verduret shrugged his shoulders with an air of compassion. "That was very stingy on his part," he said, "why did he not offer the whole? Offers cost nothing; although I have no doubt that this sweet youth would cheerfully give ten thousand francs to put the ocean between you and him." "Monsieur! what reason?" "Who knows?
Alexandre, he answered: "Chut, chut! let me alone; keep quiet." For the first time since he had known the fat man, Prosper saw him betray anxiety and hesitation. He remained silent as long as he could, and then uneasily said: "I am afraid I have embarrassed you very much, monsieur." "Yes, you have dreadfully embarrassed me," replied M. Verduret. "What on earth to do now, I don't know!
But Clameran should not escape unpunished; and how this punishment could be brought about without compromising Mme. Fauvel, was the problem to be solved. M. Verduret thought over the various cases similar to this, but not one of his former expedients could be applied to the present circumstances. He could not deliver the villain over to justice without involving Mme. Fauvel.
Such are the facts that, with an almost incredible talent for investigation, had been collected and prepared by the stout man with the jovial face who had taken Prosper under his protection, M. Verduret.
Then, with a strength of which a few minutes before he would not have believed himself possessed, Prosper raised the ladder, placed the last round on his shoulders, and said to M. Verduret: "Mount!" M. Verduret rapidly ascended the ladder without even shaking it, and had his head on a level with the window. Prosper had seen but too well.
The driver had gained his hundred francs. The horses were completely worn out, but they had accomplished all that was expected of them; M. Verduret could distinguish the lamps of a hack similar to the one he occupied, about fifty yards ahead of him. M. Verduret jumped out, and, handing the driver a bank-note, said: "Here is what I promised you.
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