And, taking out of his pocket the letter taken by M. de Tregars from the man in the restaurant, "Examine this writing," he said. "and see whether you feel capable of imitating it tolerably well."
Spreading the letter under the full light of the lamp, the secretary spent at least two minutes examining it with the minute attention of an expert. And at the same time he was muttering, "Not at all convenient, this. Hard writing to imitate. Not a salient feature, not a characteristic sign! Nothing to strike the eye, or attract attention. It must be some old lawyer's clerk who wrote this."
In spite of his anxiety of mind, the commissary smiled.
"I shouldn't be surprised if you had guessed right."
Thus encouraged, "At any rate." Felix declared, "I am going to try."
He took a pen, and, after trying a dozen times, "How is this?" he asked, holding out a sheet of paper.
The commissary carefully compared the original with the copy.
"It is not perfect," he murmured; "but at night, with the imagination excited by a great peril - Besides, we must risk something."
"If I had a few hours to practise!"
"But you have not. Come, take up your pen, and write as well as you can, in that same hand, what I am going to tell you."
And after a moment's thought, he dictated as follows "All goes well. T. drawn into a quarrel, is to fight in the morning with swords. But our man, whom I cannot leave, refuses to go ahead, unless he is paid two thousand francs before the duel. I have not the amount. Please hand it to the bearer, who has orders to wait for you."
The commissary, leaning over his secretary's shoulder, was following his hand, and, the last word being written, "Perfect! "he exclaimed. "Now quick, the address: Mme. le Baronne de Thaller, Rue de le Pepiniere."
There are professions which extinguish, in those who exercise them, all curiosity. It is with the most complete indifference, and without asking a question, that the secretary had done what he had been requested.
"Now, my dear Felix," resumed the commissary, you will please get yourself up as near as possible like a restaurant-waiter, and take this letter to its address."
"At this hour!"
"Yes. The Baroness de Thaller is out to a ball. You will tell the servants that you are bringing her an answer concerning an important matter. They know nothing about it; but they will allow you to wait for their mistress in the porter's lodge. As soon as she comes in, you will hand her the letter, stating that two gentlemen who are taking supper in your restaurant are waiting for the answer. It may be that she will exclaim that you are a scoundrel, that she does not know what it means: in that case, we shall have been anticipated, and you must get away as fast as you can. But the chances are, that she will give you two thousand francs; and then you must so manage, that she will be seen plainly when she does it. Is it all understood?"
Perfectly."
"Go ahead, then, and do not lose a minute. I shall wait."
Away from Mlle. Lucienne, Maxence had gradually been recalled to the strangeness of the situation; and it was with a mingled feeling of curiosity and surprise that he observed the commissary acting and bustling about.