"Yes."
"Shall I call him?"
"Yes."
Valentine went to the door, and called Barrois. Villefort's
impatience during this scene made the perspiration roll from his
forehead, and Franz was stupefied. The old servant came. "Barrois,"
said Valentine, "my grandfather has told me to open that drawer in
the secretary, but there is a secret spring in it, which you know —
will you open it?"
Barrois looked at the old man. "Obey," said Noirtier's
intelligent eye. Barrois touched a spring, the false bottom came
out, and they saw a bundle of papers tied with a black string.
"Is that what you wish for?" said Barrois.
"Yes."
"Shall I give these papers to M. de Villefort?"
"No."
"To Mademoiselle Valentine?"
"No."
"To M. Franz d'Epinay?"
"Yes."
Franz, astonished, advanced a step. "To me, sir?" said he.
"Yes." Franz took them from Barrois and casting a glance at the
cover, read: —
"`To be given, after my death, to General Durand, who shall
bequeath the packet to his son, with an injunction to preserve it
as containing an important document.'
"Well, sir," asked Franz, "what do you wish me to do with this
paper?"
"To preserve it, sealed up as it is, doubtless," said the
procureur.
"No," replied Noirtier eagerly.
"Do you wish him to read it?" said Valentine.
"Yes," replied the old man. "You understand, baron, my
grandfather wishes you to read this paper," said Valentine.
"Then let us sit down," said Villefort impatiently, "for it will
take some time."
"Sit down," said the old man. Villefort took a chair, but
Valentine remained standing by her father's side, and Franz before
him, holding the mysterious paper in his hand. "Read," said the old
man. Franz untied it, and in the midst of the most profound silence
read:
"`Extract from the Report of a meeting of the Bonapartist Club
in the Rue Saint-Jacques, held February 5th, 1815.'"
Franz stopped. "February 5th, 1815!" said he; "it is the day my
father was murdered." Valentine and Villefort were dumb; the eye of
the old man alone seemed to say clearly, "Go on."the old man alone seemed to say clearly, "Go on."
"But it was on leaving this club," said he, "my father
disappeared." Noirtier's eye continued to say, "Read." He resumed:
—
"`The undersigned Louis Jacques Beaurepaire, lieutenant-colonel
of artillery, Etienne Duchampy, general of brigade, and Claude
Lecharpal, keeper of woods and forests, Declare, that on the 4th of
February, a letter arrived from the Island of Elba, recommending to
the kindness and the confidence of the Bonapartist Club, General
Flavien de Quesnel, who having served the emperor from 1804 to 1814
was supposed to be devoted to the interests of the Napoleon
dynasty, notwithstanding the title of baron which Louis XVIII. had
just granted to him with his estate of Epinay.
"`A note was in consequence addressed to General de Quesnel,
begging him to be present at the meeting next day, the 5th. The
note indicated neither the street nor the number of the house where
the meeting was to be held; it bore no signature, but it announced
to the general that some one would call for him if he would be
ready at nine o'clock. The meetings were always held from that time
till midnight. At nine o'clock the president of the club presented
himself; the general was ready, the president informed him that one
of the conditions of his introduction was that he should be
eternally ignorant of the place of meeting, and that he would allow
his eyes to be bandaged, swearing that he would not endeavor to
take off the bandage. General de Quesnel accepted the condition,
and promised on his honor not to seek to discover the road they
took. The general's carriage was ready, but the president told him
it was impossible for him to use it, since it was useless to
blindfold the master if the coachman knew through what streets he
went. "What must be done then?" asked the general. — "I have my
carriage here," said the president.
"`"Have you, then, so much confidence in your servant that you
can intrust him with a secret you will not allow me to know?"can intrust him with a secret you will not allow me to know?"
"`"Our coachman is a member of the club," said the president;
"we shall be driven by a State-Councillor."
"`"Then we run another risk," said the general, laughing, "that
of being upset." We insert this joke to prove that the general was
not in the least compelled to attend the meeting, but that he came
willingly. When they were seated in the carriage the president
reminded the general of his promise to allow his eyes to be
bandaged, to which he made no opposition. On the road the president
thought he saw the general make an attempt to remove the
handkerchief, and reminded him of his oath. "Sure enough," said the
general. The carriage stopped at an alley leading out of the Rue
Saint-Jacques. The general alighted, leaning on the arm of the
president, of whose dignity he was not aware, considering him
simply as a member of the club; they went through the alley,
mounted a flight of stairs, and entered the assembly-room.
"`"The deliberations had already begun. The members, apprised of
the sort of presentation which was to be made that evening, were
all in attendance. When in the middle of the room the general was
invited to remove his bandage, he did so immediately, and was
surprised to see so many well-known faces in a society of whose
existence he had till then been ignorant. They questioned him as to
his sentiments, but he contented himself with answering, that the
letters from the Island of Elba ought to have informed them'" —
Franz interrupted himself by saying, "My father was a royalist;
they need not have asked his sentiments, which were well
known."
"And hence," said Villefort, "arose my affection for your
father, my dear M. Franz. Opinions held in common are a ready bond
of union."
"Read again," said the old man. Franz continued: —
"`The president then sought to make him speak more explicitly,
but M. de Quesnel replied that he wished first to know what they
wanted with him. He was then informed of the contents of the letter