"Good; only before proceeding to the future, let us speak of the past."Paul gave a start, which Mascarin noticed, for he added,--"You will excuse the freedom I am taking; but it is absolutely necessary that I should know to what I am binding myself. Tantaine tells me that you are a charming young man, strictly honest, and well educated; and now that I have had the pleasure of meeting you, I am sure that he is right; but I can only deal with proofs, and must be quite certain before I act on your behalf with third parties.""I have nothing to conceal, sir, and am ready to answer any questions," responded Paul.
A slight smile, which Paul did not detect, played round the corners of Mascarin's mouth, and, with a gesture, with which all who knew him were familiar, he pushed back his glasses on his nose.
"I thank you," answered he; "it is not so easy as you may suppose to hide anything from me." He took one of the packets of pasteboard slips form his desk, and shuffling them like a pack of cards, continued, "Your name is Marie Paul Violaine. You were born at Poitiers, in the Rue des Vignes, on the 5th of January, 1843, and are therefore in your twenty-fourth year.""That is quite correct, sir."
"You are an illegitimate child?"
The first question had surprised Paul; the second absolutely astounded him.
"Quite true, sir," replied he, not attempting to hide his surprise;"but I had no idea that M. Tantaine was so well informed; the partition which divided our rooms must have been thinner than Ithought."
Mascarin took no notice of this remark, but continued to shuffle and examine his pieces of cardboard. Had Paul caught a clear glimpse of these, he would have seen his initials in the corner of each.
"Your mother," went on Mascarin, "kept, for the last fifteen years of her life, a little haberdasher's shop.""Just so."
"But a business of that description in a town like Poitiers, does not bring in very remunerative results, and luckily she received for your support and education a sum of one thousand francs per year."This time Paul started from his seat, for he was sure that Tantaine could not have learned this secret at the Hotel de Perou.
"Merciful powers, sir!" cried he; "who could have told you a thing that has never passed my lips since my arrival in Paris, and of which even Rose is entirely ignorant?"Mascarin raised his shoulders.
"You can easily comprehend," remarked he, "that a man in my line of business has to learn many things. If I did not take the greatest precautions, I should be deceived daily, and so lead others into error."Paul had not been more than an hour in the office, but the directions given to Beaumarchef had already taught him how many of these events were arranged.
"Though I may be curious," went on Mascarin, "I am the symbol of discretion; so answer me frankly: How did your mother receive this annuity?""Through a Parisian solicitor."
"Do you know him?"
"Not at all," answered Paul, who had begun to grow uneasy under this questioning, for a kind of vague apprehension was aroused in his mind, and he could not see the utility of any of these interrogations. There was, however, nothing in Mascarin's manner to justify the misgivings of the young man, for he appeared to ask all these questions in quite a matter-of-course way, as if they were purely affairs of business.
After a protracted silence, Mascarin resumed,--"I am half inclined to believe that the solicitor sent the money on his own account.""No, sir," answered Paul. "I am sure you are mistaken.""Why are you so certain?"
"Because my mother, who was the incarnation of truth, often assured me that my father died before my birth. Poor mother! I loved and respected her too much to question her on these matters. One day, however, impelled by an unworthy feeling of curiosity, I dared to ask her the name of our protector. She burst into tears, and then I felt how mean and cruel I had been. I never learned his name but I know that he was not my father."Mascarin affected not to notice the emotion of his young client.
"Did the allowance cease at your mother's death?" continued he.
"No; it was stopped when I came of age. My mother told me that this would be the case; but it seems only yesterday that she spoke to me of it. It was on my birthday, and she had prepared a little treat for my supper; for in spite of the affliction my birth had caused her, she loved me fondly. Poor mother! 'Paul,' said she, 'at your birth a genuine friend promised to help me to bring up and educate you, and he kept his word. But you are now twenty-one, and must expect nothing more from him. My son, you are a man now, and I have only you to look to. Work and earn an honest livelihood----' "Paul could proceed no farther, for his emotions choked him.
"My mother died suddenly some ten months after this conversation--without time to communicate anything to me, and I was left perfectly alone in the world; and were I to die to-morrow, there would not be a soul to follow me to my grave."Mascarin put on a sympathetic look.
"Not quite so bad as that, my young friend; I trust that you have one now."Mascarin rose from his seat, and for a few minutes paced up and down the room, and then halted, with his arms folded, before the young man.
"You have heard me," said he, "and I will not put any further questions which it will but pain you to reply to, for I only wished to take your measure, and to judge of your truth from your replies. You will ask why? Ah, that is a question I cannot answer to-day, but you shall know later on. Be assured, however, that I know everything about you, but I cannot tell you by what means. Say it has all happened by chance. Chance has broad shoulders, and can bear a great deal."This ambiguous speech caused a thrill of terror to pass through Paul, which was plainly visible on his expressive features.
"Are you alarmed?" asked Mascarin, readjusting his spectacles.
"I am much surprised, sir," stammered Paul.
