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Please send by cable, reply prepaid, twenty words ... name of friend who received last news, date of letter. Send also name of the Reverend Father at Dehra. Inform him that I shall write him immediately. Paindavoine." "Translate that into English and make it shorter rather than longer, if possible. At one franc sixty centimes a word, we must not waste words. Write very clearly."
This was the call for the factory hands who lived in Maraucourt, and the other whistles repeated the summons to work from village to village, St. Pipoy, Harcheux, Racour, Flexelles, in all the Paindavoine factories, announcing to the owner of the vast works that everywhere, at the same time, his factories were calling to his employés to be ready for the day's work.
Neither side thought that a partnership could be possible, and the two cousins share alike. Each wanted all for himself. Both Mme. Bretoneux and Mme. Paindavoine had ignored Perrine since their arrival. They had given her to understand that they did not require her services any longer.
"I don't wish that meeting to take place." She had never heard anyone speak like that before. The tone alone bespoke how firm was the will, but the old gentleman's uncertain, hesitating gestures did not seem to accord with his words. Rosalie returned to her seat, delighted. "Monsieur Paindavoine gave me ten cents," she said. "Yes, I saw him," replied Perrine.
He offered a reward of forty pounds to anyone who could furnish any information, however slight it might be, about Edmond Paindavoine. The information must, however, be authentic. Not wishing to give his own address, which might have brought to him all sorts of correspondence more or less dishonest, he put the matter into the hands of his banker at Amiens.
"My mother was English and my father was French," replied Perrine, "so I speak both languages." "Good. You are to go to Saint-Pipoy. Monsieur Paindavoine wants you." She was so surprised at this news that she stood staring at the manager in amazement. "Well, stupid?" he said. As though to excuse herself, she said: "I was taken aback. I'm a stranger here and I don't know where Saint-Pipoy is."
But can you find the way?" "Yes, it's easy enough. Oh, mother," she added, as she was going out, "there are such a lot of wagons outside; they have printed on them 'Maraucourt Factories, and beneath that the name, 'Vulfran Paindavoine. There are all kinds of barrels and things in the carts. Such a number!" "There is nothing remarkable in that, my child," said the woman.
No one is to come in here. No one is to speak to me.... "And I refused to believe you," he murmured as she was leaving him. "Oh, please; if you will let me...." "Leave me," he said roughly. Perrine closed the door softly. There was considerable bustle and excitement at the chateau all that evening. First M. and Mme. Stanislas Paindavoine, who had received a telegram from Theodore, arrived.
He led her into an office where M. Paindavoine was seated talking to the manager of the Saint-Pipoy works. "Here's the girl, sir," said William, holding his hat in his hand. "Very well; you can go," said his master. Without speaking to Perrine, M. Paindavoine made a sign to his manager to come nearer to him. Then he spoke to him in a low voice. The manager also dropped his voice to answer.
The same young man who had driven him the evening before was now driving. Although everyone knew that their chief, Vulfran Paindavoine, was blind, all the men took off their hats as he passed and the women curtseyed. "You see he's not the last one to come," said Rosalie, as the phaeton passed through the gates, "but his nephews likely will be late."
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