第72章

"Halloo!" said he; "here is my artistic friend.I lay ten to one that you have come to ask my father to do you a favor.""You are quite right; is he at home?"

"The governor is in the sulks; he has shut himself up, and will not see me.""You are joking."

"Not I; the old man is a regular despot, and I am sick of everything."Noticing that one of the grooms was listening, Gaston had sufficient sense to draw Andre a little on one side.

"Do you know," asked he, "that the governor has docked my screw and vows that he will advertise himself as not responsible for the debts of yours truly; but I cannot think he will do so, for that would be a regular smash-up for me.You haven't such a trifle as ten thousand francs about you that you could lend me, have you? I'd give twenty thousand for the accommodation when I came of age.""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.The only nuisance is, that to make matters run a bit smooth, I wrote down the wrong name.Do you tumble, eh?""But, great heavens! that is forgery," said Andre, aghast.

"Not a bit, for I always intended to pay; besides, I wanted the money to square Van Klopen.You know /him/, I suppose?""No."

"Well, he is the chap to dress a girl.I had those costumes for Zora from him; but it is out and out the governor's fault.Why did he drive me to desperation? Yes, it is all the old man's doing.He wasn't satisfied with pitching into me, but he collared that poor, helpless lamb and shut her up.She never did him any harm, and I call it a right down cowardly and despicable act to hurt Zora.""Zora," repeated Andre, who did not recognize the name.

"Yes, Zora; you know; you had a feed with us one day.""Yes, yes; you mean Rose."

"That's it; but I don't like any one to call her by that ugly, common name.Well, the governor has gone mad about her, and filed a complaint against her of decoying a minor, as if I was a fellow any one could decoy.Well, the end of it was, that she is now in the prison of St.

Lazare."

The tears started to the young man's eyes as he related this grievance.

"Poor Zora," he added; "I was never mashed on a woman like I was on her.And then what a splendid form she has! Why, the hairdresser said he had never seen such hair in his life; and she is at St.Lazare.As soon as the police came for her, her first thoughts were of me, and she shrieked out, 'Poor Gaston will kill himself when he hears of this.' The cook told me this, and added that her mistress's sufferings were terrible.And she is at St.Lazare.I tried to see her, but it was no go"; and here the boy's voice broke into a sob.

"Come," said Andre, "keep up your spirits.""Ah! you shall see if, as soon as I am twenty-one, I don't marry her.

I don't put all the blame on the old man.He has been advised by his lawyer, a beast by the name of Catenac.Do you know /him/?""No."

"You don't seem to know any one.Well, I shall send him a challenge to-morrow.I have got my seconds all ready.By the way, would you like to act for me? I can easily get rid of one of the others.""I have had no experience in such matters.""Ah, then you would be of no use.My seconds must put him into a regular blue funk.""In that case--"

"No; I know what you are going to say: you mean that I had best look out for a military swell; but, after all, the matter lies in a nutshell.I am the insulted party, and draw pistols at ten paces.If that frightens him, he will make the governor drop all this rubbish."Had his mind not been so much occupied, this rhodomontade on Gaston's part would have amused Andre very much, but now he asked himself what would be the quickest way to escape from him.

Just at this moment a servant emerged from the house.

"Sir," said he, addressing Andre, "my master has seen you from his window, and begs that you will go up to him at once.""I will be with him immediately," answered Andre; and, holding out his hand to Gaston, he took leave of him with a few words of encouragement.