"I beg your pardon, mesdames, for not being here at the moment of your arrival; but I was at the Academy of Sciences, awaiting the result of an election,--that of Monsieur Felix Phellion, who has been elected unanimously less three votes."This news seemed to have a great effect upon the company. So then Monsieur Picot resumed:--"I must also, mesdames, ask your pardon for the rather improper manner in which I behaved a short time ago in the house where we are now assembled. My excuse must be my late infirmity, the annoyances of a family lawsuit, and of an old housekeeper who robbed me and tormented me in a thousand ways, from whom I am happily delivered. To-day you see me another man, rejuvenated and rich with the blessings bestowed upon me by the amiable woman who has given me her hand; and I should be in the happiest frame of mind to receive you if the recollection of my young friend, whose eminence as a man of science has just been consecrated by the Academy, did not cast upon my mind a veil of sadness. All here present," continued Monsieur Picot, raising his voice, which is rather loud, "are guilty towards him: I, for ingratitude when he gave me the glory of his discovery and the reward of his immortal labors; that young lady, whom I see over there with tears in her eyes, for having foolishly accused him of atheism; that other lady, with the stern face, for having harshly replied to the proposals of his noble father, whose white hairs she ought rather to have honored; Monsieur Thuillier, for having sacrificed him to ambition; Monsieur Colleville, for not performing his part of father and choosing for his daughter the worthiest and most honorable man; Monsieur Minard, for having tried to foist his son into his place. There are but two persons in the room at this moment who have done him full justice,--Madame Thuillier and Monsieur l'Abbe Gondrin. Well, I shall now ask that man of God whether we can help doubting the divine justice when this generous young man, the victim of all of us, is, at the present hour, at the mercy of waves and tempests, to which for three long years he is consigned.""Providence is very powerful, monsieur," replied the Abbe Gondrin.
"God will protect Monsieur Felix Phellion wherever he may be, and I have the firmest hope that three years hence he will be among his friends once more.""But three years!" said Monsieur Picot. "Will it still be time?
Will Mademoiselle Colleville have waited for him?""Yes, I swear it!" cried the young girl, carried away by an impulse she could not control.
Then she sat down again, quite ashamed, and burst into tears.
"And you, Mademoiselle Thuillier, and you, Madame Colleville, will you permit this young lady to reserve herself for one who is worthy of her?""Yes! Yes!" cried everybody; for Monsieur Picot's voice, which is very full and sonorous, seemed to have tears in it and affected everybody.
"Then it is time," he said, "to forgive Providence."And rushing suddenly to the door, where my ear was glued to the keyhole, he very nearly caught me.
"Announce," he said to me, in a very loud tone of voice, "Monsieur Felix Phellion and his family."And thereupon the door of a side room opened, and five or six persons came out, who were led by Monsieur Picot into the salon.
At the sight of her LOVER, Mademoiselle Colleville was taken ill, but the faint lasted only a minute; seeing Monsieur Felix at her feet she threw herself into Madame Thuillier's arms, crying out:--"Godmother! you always told me to hope."
Mademoiselle Thuillier, who, in spite of her harsh nature and want of education, I have always myself thought a remarkable woman, now had a fine impulse. As the company were about to go into the dining-room,--"One moment!" she said.
Then going up to Monsieur Phellion, senior, she said to him:
"Monsieur and old friend! I ask you for the hand of Monsieur Felix Phellion for our adopted daughter, Mademoiselle Colleville.""Bravo! bravo!" they call cried in chorus.
"My God!" said Monsieur Phellion, with tears in his eyes; "what have I done to deserve such happiness?""You have been an honest man and a Christian without knowing it,"replied the Abbe Gondrin.
Here la Peyrade flung down the manuscript.
"You did not finish it," said Corentin, taking back the paper.
"However, there's not much more. Monsieur Henri confesses to me that the scene had MOVED HIM; he also says that, knowing the interest I had formerly taken in the marriage, he thought he ought to inform me of its conclusion; ending with a slightly veiled suggestion of a fee. No, stay," resumed Corentin, "here is a detail of some importance:--"The English woman seems to have made it known during dinner that, having no heirs, her fortune, after the lives of herself and her husband, will go to Felix. That will make him powerfully rich one of these days.
La Peyrade had risen and was striding about the room with rapid steps.
"Well," said Corentin, "what is the matter with you?""Nothing."
"That is not true," said the great detective. "I think you envy the happiness of that young man. My dear fellow, permit me to tell you that if such a conclusion were to your taste, you should have acted as he has done. When I sent you two thousand francs on which to study law, I did not intend you to succeed me; I expected you to row your galley laboriously, to have the needful courage for obscure and painful toil; your day would infallibly have come. But you chose to violate fortune--""Monsieur!"
"I mean hasten it, reap it before it ripened. You flung yourself into journalism; then into business, questionable business; you made acquaintance with Messieurs Dutocq and Cerizet. Frankly, I think you fortunate to have entered the port which harbors you to-day. In any case, you are not sufficiently simple of heart to have really valued the joys reserved for Felix Phellion. These bourgeois--""These bourgeois," said la Peyrade, quickly,--"I know them now. They have great absurdities, great vices even, but they have virtues, or, at the least, estimable qualities; in them lies the vital force of our corrupt society.""YOUR society!" said Corentin, smiling; "you speak as if you were still in the ranks. You have another sphere, my dear fellow; and you must learn to be more content with your lot. Governments pass, societies perish or dwindle; but we--WE dominate all things; the police is eternal."