his granddaughter is going to be married, M. Noirtier has even forgotten
the name of his intended grandson." M. de Villefort had scarcely said
this, when the door opened, and Barrois appeared.
"Gentlemen," said he, in a tone strangely firm for a servant speaking to
his masters under such solemn circumstances,--"gentlemen, M. Noirtier
de Villefort wishes to speak immediately to M. Franz de Quesnel, baron
d'Epinay;" he, as well as the notary, that there might be no mistake in
the person, gave all his titles to the bride-groom elect.
Villefort started, Madame de Villefort let her son slip from her knees,
Valentine rose, pale and dumb as a statue. Albert and Chateau-Renaud
exchanged a second look, more full of amazement than the first. The
notary looked at Villefort. "It is impossible," said the procureur. "M.
d'Epinay cannot leave the drawing-room at present."
"It is at this moment," replied Barrois with the same firmness, "that M.
Noirtier, my master, wishes to speak on important subjects to M. Franz
d'Epinay."
"Grandpapa Noirtier can speak now, then," said Edward, with his habitual
quickness. However, his remark did not make Madame de Villefort even
smile, so much was every mind engaged, and so solemn was the situation.
Astonishment was at its height. Something like a smile was perceptible
on Madame de Villefort's countenance. Valentine instinctively raised her
eyes, as if to thank heaven.
"Pray go, Valentine," said; M. de Villefort, "and see what this new
fancy of your grandfather's is." Valentine rose quickly, and was
hastening joyfully towards the door, when M. de Villefort altered his
intention.
"Stop," said he; "I will go with you."
"Excuse me, sir," said Franz, "since M. Noirtier sent for me, I am ready
to attend to his wish; besides, I shall be happy to pay my respects to
him, not having yet had the honor of doing so."
"Pray, sir," said Villefort with marked uneasiness, "do not disturb
yourself."
"Forgive me, sir," said Franz in a resolute tone. "I would not lose this
opportunity of proving to M. Noirtier how wrong it would be of him to
encourage feelings of dislike to me, which I am determined to conquer,
whatever they may be, by my devotion." And without listening to
Villefort he arose, and followed Valentine, who was running down-stairs
with the joy of a shipwrecked mariner who finds a rock to cling to. M.
de Villefort followed them. Chateau-Renaud and Morcerf exchanged a third
look of still increasing wonder.
Chapter 75. A Signed Statement.
Noirtier was prepared to receive them, dressed in black, and installed
in his arm-chair. When the three persons he expected had entered, he
looked at the door, which his valet immediately closed.
"Listen," whispered Villefort to Valentine, who could not conceal her
joy; "if M. Noirtier wishes to communicate anything which would delay
your marriage, I forbid you to understand him." Valentine blushed,
but did not answer. Villefort, approaching Noirtier--"Here is M. Franz
d'Epinay," said he; "you requested to see him. We have all wished for
this interview, and I trust it will convince you how ill-formed are your
objections to Valentine's marriage."
Noirtier answered only by a look which made Villefort's blood run cold.
He motioned to Valentine to approach. In a moment, thanks to her habit
of conversing with her grandfather, she understood that he asked for a
key. Then his eye was fixed on the drawer of a small chest between the
windows. She opened the drawer, and found a key; and, understanding that
was what he wanted, again watched his eyes, which turned toward an old
secretary which had been neglected for many years and was supposed to
contain nothing but useless documents. "Shall I open the secretary?"
asked Valentine.
"Yes," said the old man.
"And the drawers?"
"Yes."
"Those at the side?"
"No."
"The middle one?"
"Yes." Valentine opened it and drew out a bundle of papers. "Is that
what you wish for?" asked she.
"No."
She took successively all the other papers out till the drawer was
empty. "But there are no more," said she. Noirtier's eye was fixed on
the dictionary. "Yes, I understand, grandfather," said the young girl.
He pointed to each letter of the alphabet. At the letter S the old man
stopped her. She opened, and found the word "secret."
"Ah, is there a secret spring?" said Valentine.
"Yes," said Noirtier.
"And who knows it?" Noirtier looked at the door where the servant had
gone out. "Barrois?" said she.
"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."
"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?"
"'"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 from the Island of
Elba, in which he was recommended to the club as a man who would be
likely to advance the interests of their party. One paragraph spoke of
the return of Bonaparte and promised another letter and further details,
on the arrival of the Pharaon belonging to the shipbuilder Morrel, of
Marseilles, whose captain was entirely devoted to the emperor. During
all this time, the general, on whom they thought to have relied as on a
brother, manifested evidently signs of discontent and repugnance. When
the reading was finished, he remained silent, with knitted brows.
"'"Well," asked the president, "what do you say to this letter,
general?"
"'"I say that it is too soon after declaring myself for Louis XVIII. to
break my vow in behalf of the ex-emperor." This answer was too clear
to permit of any mistake as to his sentiments. "General," said the
president, "we acknowledge no King Louis XVIII., or an ex-emperor,
but his majesty the emperor and king, driven from France, which is his
kingdom, by violence and treason."
"'"Excuse me, gentlemen," said the general; "you may not acknowledge
Louis XVIII., but I do, as he has made me a baron and a field-marshal,
and I shall never forget that for these two titles I am indebted to his
happy return to France."
"'"Sir," said the president, rising with gravity, "be careful what you
say; your words clearly show us that they are deceived concerning you
in the Island of Elba, and have deceived us! The communication has been
made to you in consequence of the confidence placed in you, and which
does you honor. Now we discover our error; a title and promotion attach
you to the government we wish to overturn. We will not constrain you to
help us; we enroll no one against his conscience, but we will compel you
to act generously, even if you are not disposed to do so."
"'"You would call acting generously, knowing your conspiracy and
not informing against you, that is what I should call becoming your
accomplice. You see I am more candid than you."'"
"Ah, my father!" said Franz, interrupting himself. "I understand now why
they murdered him." Valentine could not help casting one glance towards
the young man, whose filial enthusiasm it was delightful to behold.
Villefort walked to and fro behind them. Noirtier watched the expression
of each one, and preserved his dignified and commanding attitude. Franz
returned to the manuscript, and continued:--
"'"Sir," said the president, "you have been invited to join this
