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"Yes, and he would have been," said Mombleux, smiling, "if certain ones who wanted his help had not done all they could to keep him." Perrine became all attention. "They'll make a face when they see that he's gone, but I'll give William his due: he didn't know that he was spying." They were silent while Zenobie came in to change the plates.
There's Monsieur Fabry, the engineer of the building; Monsieur Mombleux, the head clerk, and Mr. Bendit, who has charge of the foreign correspondence. If you ever speak to him always call him Mr. Benndite. He's an Englishman, and he gets mad if you pronounce his name 'Bendit. He thinks that one wants to insult him, just as though one was calling him 'Thief'!"
The tone of her reply evidently pleased the engineer, for turning to Perrine he gave her an encouraging smile. "But if you are replacing Mr. Bendit?" said Mombleux obstinately. "Say that Mademoiselle is keeping his job for him," retorted Fabry. "It's the same thing," answered Mombleux. "Not at all, for in a week or two, when he'll be better, he'll come back in his old place.
He certainly would not have had it if Mademoiselle had not been here to keep it for him." "It seems to me that you and I also have helped to keep it for him," said Mombleux. "Yes, but this little girl has done her share; he'll have to be grateful to all three of us," said Fabry, smiling again at Perrine.
"So then you are a comrade of ours, Mademoiselle," said Mombleux, who had not forgotten his humiliation at Saint-Pipoy, and he wanted to make the one who was the cause of it pay for it. She felt the sarcasm of his words and for a moment she was disconcerted, but she recovered herself quickly. "No, Monsieur," she said quietly, "not of yours but of William's."
She would have preferred anything else but she had to be contented with what was there. The hours passed slowly, but at last the bell rang for luncheon. Perrine was one of the first to go out. On the way she was joined by Fabry and Mombleux. They also were going to Mother Françoise's house.
If Rosalie had not spoken to Perrine of the near opening of the shooting season for water fowl, Perrine would have stayed on in her cabin unaware of the danger that might come to her. Although this news came as a blow to her, what Rosalie had said about M. Bendit and the translations she might do for M. Mombleux gave her something else to think about.
She just wanted to be alone, to think, in her little room, with the door closed. She wanted to take a clear account of the situation in which she now found herself. When she heard Fabry and Mombleux speaking of the manager she realized how much she had to fear this man. He had given her to understand that he was the master, and as such it was his right to be informed of all that happened.
"'Tain't a question of being a poor girl or a young lady; it's a question of knowing English," said Rosalie. "I speak it, but to translate a business letter is another thing," said Perrine, doubtfully. "It'll be all right with M. Mombleux; he knows the business part." "Well, then, tell him I shall be very pleased if I can do anything for M. Bendit." "I'll tell him."
Later on Fabry and Mombleux put the same question to her, for everyone now knew that little Perrine had had to drive the chief home because his coachman had been too drunk to hold the reins. "It's a miracle that he hasn't upset the boss a dozen times," said Fabry, "for he drives like a crazy creature when he's drunk. He should have been sent off long ago."
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