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Updated: May 19, 2025
As soon as they were once more alone, Mascarin examined the letters. "Ah," cried he, "one from Van Klopen, and the other from the Hotel de Mussidan. Let us first see what our friend the man-milliner has to say. "You may be at ease. Our mutual friend Verminet has executed your orders most adroitly.
Speak to Van Klopen certainly, but do not bind yourself. Remember that I do not care a bit for the fair Sara." "Quite so; I understand," answered Verminet; "but keep things quiet, and do not have any open disturbances." "Of course not. Good morning," and with a bow to the managing director and a nod to Gaston, he lunged out of the office, not condescending to take the slightest notice of Andre.
The heat of the stove, which was burning in one corner of the room, the general mouldiness of the atmosphere, and the smell of the coarse food, were sufficient to turn the stomach of any one coming in from the fresh air. "Where is M. Verminet?" asked Gaston authoritatively. "Engaged," replied one of the clerks, without pausing to empty his mouth before he replied. "Don't you talk to me like that.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked the artist. "Can't you see?" whispered Gaston. "I had ten because I wanted the other five for Zora." "Oh, indeed," returned Andre, with a slight uplifting of his eyebrows. "Well, then, M. Verminet, it was five thousand francs that you lent to my young friend here. That was right enough; but what do you say to inducing him to forge a signature?"
I will open an account with him; then, after a little, I will affect doubts as to his solvency, and ask for a bill; and we shall then place our young friend in the hands of the Mutual Loan Society, and M. Verminet will easily persuade him to write his name across the bottom of a piece of stamped paper. He will bring it to me; I will accept it, and then we shall have him hard and fast."
"I must say ," began Andre. "All right; never mind; I understand. If you had the ready, you wouldn't be hanging about here; but for all that, I must have the cash. Hang it all, I signed bills to that amount payable to Verminet. Do you know the fellow?" "Not at all." "Where were you dragged up? Why, he is the head of the Mutual Loan Society.
"I don't want to give this thief, Verminet, time to warn Van Klopen of what has taken place; I had rather fall upon him with the suddenness of an earthquake. Come, let us go to his establishment at once." Had Andre known a little more of the man he had to deal with, he would have learned that no one could fall like an earthquake upon Van Klopen.
For fully ten minutes the men stood gazing at each other. Verminet was green with terror, while Andre's face, though pale, was firm and determined. "If the scoundrel makes any resistance," said he to himself, "I will fling him out of the window." "The man is a perfect athlete," thought Verminet, "and looks as if he would stick at nothing."
"But to enable us to do so, you must first let us know the name of the party who discounted them." "I don't know; I have forgotten," answered Verminet, with a careless wave of his hand. "Then," returned Andre, in a low, deep voice of concentrated fury, "let me advise you, for your own sake, to make an immediate call upon your powers of memory." "Do you threaten me?"
Does he want to play me a nasty trick? But which of them is it Verminet or Van Klopen?" "It is plain to me that the pair of them have entered into a pleasant little plot to blackmail you." Young Gandelu did not at all like this turn, and he exclaimed, "Blackmail me, indeed! why, I know my way about better than that. They won't get much out of me, I can tell you." Andre shrugged his shoulders.
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