"I know now," he replied, "among whom the spoils were divided. You, M. Costeclar, you took what you could get, timidly, and according to your means. Sharks are always accompanied by small fishes, to which they abandon the crumbs they disdain. You were but a small fish then: you accommodated yourself with what your patrons, the sharks, did not care about. But, when you tried to operate alone, you were not shrewd enough: you left proofs of your excessive appetite for other people's money. Those proofs I have in my possession."
M. COSTECLAR was now undergoing perfect torture.
"I am caught," he said, "I know it: I told M. de Villegre so."
"Why are you here, then?"
"How did I know that the count had been sent by you?"
"That's a poor reason, sir."
"Besides, after what has occurred, after Favoral's flight, I thought myself relieved of my engagement."
"Indeed!"
"Well, if you insist upon it, I am wrong, I suppose."
"Not only you are wrong," uttered Marius still perfectly cool, "but you have committed a great imprudence. By failing to keep your engagements, you have relieved me of mine. The pact is broken.
According to the agreement, I have the right, as I leave here, to go straight to the police."
M. COSTECLAR's dull eye was vacillating.
"I did not think I was doing wrong," he muttered. "Favoral was my friend."
"And that's the reason why you were coming to propose to Mlle.
Favoral to become your mistress? There she is, you thought, without resources, literally without bread, without relatives, without friends to protect her: this is the time to come forward. And thinking you could be cowardly, vile, and infamous with impunity, you came."
To be thus treated, he, the successful man, in presence of this young girl, whom, a moment before, he was crushing with his impudent opulence, no M. Costeclar could not stand it. Losing completely his head, "You should have let me know, then," he exclaimed, "that she was your mistress."
Something like a flame passed over M. de Tregars' face. His eyes flashed. Rising in all the height of his wrath, which broke out terrible at last, "Ah, you scoundrel!" he exclaimed.
M. Costeclar threw himself suddenly to one side.
"Sir!"
But at one bound M. de Tregars had caught him.
"On your knees!" he cried.
And, seizing him by the collar with an iron grip, he lifted him clear off the floor, and then threw him down violently upon both knees.
"Speak!" he commanded. "Repeat, - 'Mademoiselle'
M. Costeclar had expected worse from M. de Tregars' look. A horrible fear had instantly crushed within him all idea of resistance.
"Mademoiselle," he stuttered in a choking voice. "I am the vilest of wretches," continued Marius. M. Costeclar's livid face was oscillating like an inert object.
"I am," he repeated, "the vilest of wretches."
"And I beg of you -"
But Mlle. Gilberte was sick of the sight.
"Enough," she interrupted, "enough!"
Feeling no longer upon his shoulders the heavy hand of M. de Tregars, the stock-broker rose with difficulty to his feet. So livid was his face, that one might have thought that his whole blood had turned to gall.
Dusting with the end of his glove the knees of his trousers, and restoring as best he could the harmony of his toilet, which had been seriously disturbed, "Is it showing any courage," he grumbled, "to abuse one's physical strength?"
M. de Tregars had already recovered his self-possession; and Mlle.
Gilberte thought she could read upon his face regret for his violence.
"Would it be better to make use of what you know?" M. Costeclar joined his hands.
"You would not do that,", he said. "What good would it do you to ruin me?"
"None," answered M. de Tregars: "you are right. But yourself?"
And, looking straight into M. Costeclar's eyes, - "If you could be of service to me," he inquired, "would you be willing?"
"Perhaps. That I might recover possession of the papers you have."
M. de Tregars was thinking.
"After what has just taken place," he said at last, "an explanation is necessary between us. I will be at your house in an hour. Wait for me."
M. Costeclar had become more pliable than his own lavender kid gloves: in fact, alarmingly pliable.
"I am at your command, sir," he replied to M. de Tregars.
And, bowing to the ground before Mlle. Gilberte, he left the parlor; and, a few moments after, the street-door was heard to close upon him.
"Ah, what a wretch!" exclaimed the, girl, dreadfully agitated.
"Marius, did you see what a look he gave us as he went out?"
"I saw it," replied M. de Tregars.
"That man hates us: he will not hesitate to commit a crime to avenge the atrocious humiliation you have just inflicted upon him."
"I believe it too."
Mlle. Gilberte made a gesture of distress.
"Why did you treat him so harshly?" she murmured.
"I had intended to remain calm, and it would have been politic to have done so. But there are some insults which a man of heart cannot endure. I do not regret what I have done."
A long pause followed; and they remained standing, facing each other, somewhat embarrassed. Mlle. Gilberte felt ashamed of the disorder of her dress. M. de Tregars wondered how he could have been bold enough to enter this house.
"You have heard of our misfortune," said the young girl at last.
I read about it this morning, in the papers."
"What! the papers know already?"
"Every thing."
"And our name is printed in them?"
Yes."
She covered her face with her two hands.
"What disgrace!" she said.