Sektion 5 av Kassels in the Air Detta är en LibriVox rekordning, eller LibriVox rekordning är i den publiska domen. För mer information eller att vara med, visst visst LibriVox.org. Riddning av Lars Rolander Kassels in the Air by Baroness Emusca Orkzi, chapter 3, underbrink, part 1.  Men som ingen dubbt har du remarkat er det här. Jag har varit byggnad av natur med en översensiv hjärta. Det är en uppdrag, däremot, däremot. Och då jag har svårat inexpressivt under det, jag aldrig agree med den engelska poängen George Krabb, hos arbetet som jag har läggt med en stor del av tillväxt och profet i den originella timmen, och som övers i en av sina inimitable tillväxt, att det är bättre att äta en miss än inget att äta. Inte att jag äter Theodor, du förstår?  Då hade jag hittat henne på mig, för jag trodde att han skulle gärna vara användig för mig i min business. Jag hade hittat henne på min hörd, som du nu ser. I de dagarna, jag nu är talande om det timmet, immediately following the restoration of our beloved King Louis XVIII to the throne of his forebears. Parisian society was, as it were, divided into two distinct categories, those who had become impoverished by the revolution and the wars of the empire, and those who had made their fortunes thereby. Among the former was Monsieur la Marquis de Femme en Latour, a handsome young officer of cavalry, and among the latter was one Morus Mosenstein, a usurer of the Jewish persuasion, whose wealth was reputed in millions, and who had a handsome daughter, biblically named Rachel, who a year ago had become Madame la Marquis de Femme en Latour. From the first moment that this brilliant young couple appeared upon the firmament of Parisian society, I took a keen interest in all their doings. In those days you understand, it was in the essence of my business to know as much as possible of the private affairs of people in their position, and the instinct had at once told me that in the case of Monsieur la Marquis de Femme en Latour, such knowledge might prove very remunerative. Thus I very soon found out that Monsieur la Marquis had not a single Louis of his own to bless himself with, and that it was Papa Mosenstein's millions that kept up the young people's magnificent establishment in the Rue de Gramon. I also found out that Madame la Marquis was some dozen years older than Monsieur, and that she had been a widow when she married him. There were rumors that her first marriage had not been a happy one. The husband, Monsieur le Comte-Nacquis, had been a gambler and a spendthrift, and had dissipated as much of his wife's fortune as he could lay his hands on, till one day he went off on a voyage to America, or goodness knows where, and was never heard of again. Madame la Comte-Nacquis, as she then was, did not grieve over her loss. Indeed she returned to the bosom of her family, and her father, a shrewd usurer who had amassed an enormous fortune during the wars, succeeded with the aid of his apparently bottomless moneybags in having his first son-in-law declared deceased by royal decree, so as to enable the beautiful Rachel to contract another, yet more brilliant alliance, as far as name and lineage were concerned, with the Marquis de Fermin Latour. Indeed I learned that the worthy Australia's one passion was the social advancement of his daughter whom he worshipped. So as soon as the marriage was consummated and the young people were home from their honeymoon, he fitted up for their use the most extravagantly sumptuous apartment Paris had ever seen. Nothing seemed too good or too luxurious for Madame la Marquis de Fermin Latour. He decided her to cut a brilliant figure in Paris society, nay, to be the Ville Maire's brightest and most particular star. After the townhouse he bought a château in the country, horses and carriages, which he placed at the disposal of the young couple. He kept up an army of servants for them and replenished their cellars with the choicest wines. He threw money about for diamonds and pearls, which his daughter wore, and paid all his son-in-law's tailors and shirtmaker's bills. But always the money was his, you understand? The house in Paris was his, so was the château on the loire. He lent them to his daughter, he lent her the diamonds and the carriages, and the boxes at the opera and the Francaise. But here his generosity ended. He had been deceived in his daughter's first husband, some of the money which he had given her had gone to pay the gambling debts of an unscrupulous spendthrift. He was determined that this should not occur again. A man might spend his wife's money, indeed the law placed most of it at his disposal in those days. But he could not touch or mortage one sue that belonged to his father-in-law. And strangely enough, Madame La Maquista for Man Latour, a quiciest and aided her father in his determination. Whether it was the Jewish blood in her or merely obedience to Old Mosenstein's whim, it were impossible to say. Certain it is that out of the lavish pin money which her father gave her as a free gift from time to time. She only doled out a meager allowance to her husband. And although she had everything she wanted, Monsieur La Maquista on his side had often less than 20 francs in his pocket. A very humiliating position you will admit, sir, for a dashing young cavalry officer. Often have I seen him gnawing his fingernails would rage when at the end of a copious dinner in one of the fashionable restaurants where I myself was engaged in a business capacity to keep an eye on possibly light-fingered customers. It would be Madame La Maquista who paid the bill, even gave the pour voir to the waiter. At such times my heart would be filled with pity for his misfortunes, and in my own proud and lofty independence I felt that I did not envy him his wife's millions. Of course he borrowed from every usur in the city for as long as they would lend him any money. But now he was up to his eyes in depth, and there was not a Jew inside France who would have lent him 100 francs. You see, his precarious position was as well known as were his extravagant tastes and the obstinate parsimoniness of Monsieur Mosenstein. But such men as Monsieur La Maquista of Amanda Tour, you understand, sir, are destined by nature first and by fortuitous circumstances afterwards to become the clients of men of ability like myself. I knew that sooner or later the elegant young soldier would be forced to seek the advice of someone wiser than himself, for indeed his present situation could not last much longer. It was soon besinked with him, for he could no longer swim. And I was determined that when that time came he should turn to me as the drowning man turns to the straw. So where Monsieur La Maquista went in public I went when possible. I was spending my time and wisely too, as you will judge. Then one day our eyes met, not in a fashionable restaurant, I may tell you, but in a discreet one situated on the slopes of a Montmartre. Jag var där samtidigt siffra en koppp av koffe efter en frugladinner. Jag hade driftat in där siffrigt, för jag hade ganska exakt kortsatt Monsieur La Maquista för Amanda Tour att åka armen i armen upp i rullipik med en län som var både utfällig och charminna, en vänlända dansare på Ockbrum. Den här gången såg jag hos honom en discreet liten restaurang där i väldigt trodde det inte var liknande att Madame La Maquista skulle följa honom. Men jag gjorde det. Vad gjorde mig att göra det, kan jag inte säga. Men för nån gång nu hade det varit min viss att göra det personliga vänlända som Monsieur La Maquista för Amanda Tour och jag hade ingen möjlighet som skulle hjälpa mig att få ut den här siffrorna. Jag var somehow intresserad av det. Den sociala och finansiösa positionen var speculär, du ska lämna, och här tänkte jag att det var i början av en avdelning som kan bevara den vänlända vänlända i sin karriär och min möjlighet. Jag var inte bra, som du nu ser. Väls stort älskar min siffror, jag har tittat Monsieur La Maquista för Amanda Tour. Han började älskningen med att vara vänlända. Han hade ordet champagne och en succulent mjöl och chattat ljudet hos hos sin kompagn. Särskilt tre mänlända, flaschligt drast, gjorde en lösning till restaureratet. Monsieur La Maquista hällde dem, introducerade dem till dem, och snart var han en host, inte en län, men fyra. Och i stället av två älskar, han hade ordet fem, och mer champagne. Och så sötte de peaches, strober, bombons, lyckor och flor och så vidare, tills jag kunde se att billen, som nu är kallad på att spela, berättade mer än hans kvartel, från Madame Lamarckis, mer än han hade i hans kvartel i den present momenten. Min hjärna jobbade med marbles rapiditet, som du vet. Jag hade gjort upp min mindre att se en liten komedie tillbaka. Och jag kollade med en bra del av intresset och en piti, älskaren av ansvar, gärdning av Monsieur de Fermin och Monsieur La Maquista. Länskaren fanns ett ganska bra tid. Då var det envitt, kataclysm. Länskaren var bäst att skrämma och röda sitt liv, när billen var present. De var effektiv att se och höra inget. Det är en väg som länkare har när länskaren måste vara kallad. Men jag såg och hörde allt. Länskaren stod by, snyggt och obskrikt, först, snyggt att Monsieur La Maquista skrämde på alla sina städer. Då var det en vissbärd kataclysm och vätskare snyggt skrämde något av sin korrekt snygghet. Länskaren var kallad och vissbärd kataclysm ställde sig i en alternation snyggt att länkare inte är alldeles oerhört av situationen skrämma sig. Länskaren skrämde en envitt, vilket skrev. Då var det att våra vinst skrämde sig. Monsieur de Femins latour skrämde till rörelsen av hans snygghet. Han situation var indeed bäst och min opportunitet kom. Med konsumentet Sainte-Frois skrämde jag tilläggande gruppen komposed på Monsieur La Maquista, propriertör och headwaiter. Jag glömde på billen på alla detta termol vilket stämde på en metallsalver i headwaiters hand och med en brev. Om Monsieur La Maquista vill allow mig, jag producerade min paketbock. Billet var för 900 franser. Först Monsieur La Maquista trodde jag var om att spela det och så gjorde det propriertör av ställning som gjorde en moment som om han skulle ligga på flera och lycka min bult. Men inte så. För att börja med, jag inte skrev att possessa 900 franser. Och om jag gjorde det, jag skulle inte ha varit fullt enough att lämna dem till den här jungskapegränsen. Nej! Vad jag gjorde var att ta ut från min paketbock en kard, en av en serie som jag alltid håller på med i stället för en emergency som den presenten. Det var den legend Conte Hercule de Montrois, sekretär particulär de Monsieur Le Duc d'Orthamte. Och bära det i adress Palais du commissariat de police 12K d'Orsay. Det här kard jag presenterade med en gränsfull flörjage av armen till den propriertör av ställning. Välst har jag sagt med den loftig self-assurance som är en av min finaste attryckning och den som jag aldrig sett svarat. Monsieur Le Marquis är min vän. Jag kommer att vara klar för den här trifelning. Den propriertör och ställningstamma skjus. Private sekretär och Monsieur Le Duc d'Orthamte. Tänk av det. Det är inte ofentlig att sådant personager stängde att frequenta restauranter av Montmartre. Monsieur Le Marquis på den andra hand ser helt bärande. Välst jag svarat av situationen svarade honom familjärer med armen och ledde honom mot dörr. Jag sa med kondescending vanity. One word with you, my dear Marquis. It is so long since we have met. I bowed to the ladies. Me dumb, I said and was gratified to see that they followed my dramatic exit with eyes of appreciation and of wonder. The proprietor himself offered me my hat and a moment or two later Monsieur de Faman Latour and I were out together in the real epic. My dear Comte said as soon as he had recovered his breath. How can I thank you? Not now, Monsieur, not now, I replied. You have only just time to make your way as quickly as you can back to your palace in the Rue de Gramon before our friend, the proprietor, discovers the several mistakes which he has made in the past few minutes and went his wrath upon your fair guests. You are right, he rejoined lightly. But I will have the pleasure to call on you tomorrow at the Palais du Commissariat. Do not such thing, Monsieur Lemakki. I retorted with a pleasant laugh. You would not find me there. But, he stammered, but I broke in with my wanted business like and persuasive manner. If you think that I have conducted this delicate affair for you with tact and discretion, then, in your own interest, I should advise you to call on me at my private office, number 96 Rue de Nau, Hector Rattichon at your service. He appeared more bewildered than ever. Rue de Nau, he murmured, Rattichon, private inquiry and confidential agent, I rejoined. My brains are at your service, should you desire to extricate yourself from the humiliating financial position in which it has been my good luck to find you and yours to meet with me. With that I left him, sir, to walk away or stay as he pleased. As for me, I went quickly down the street. I felt that the situation was absolutely perfect. To have spoken another word might have spoilt it. Moreover, there was no knowing how soon the proprietor of that humble hostelry would begin to have doubts as to the identity of the private secretary of Monsieur le Duc de Trant. So I was best out of the way. The very next day, Monsieur le Machide from Mainlatur called upon me at my office in the Rue de Nau. Theodore let him in and the first thing that struck me about him was his curt, haughty manner and the look of disdain wherewith he regarded the humble appointments for my business premises. He himself was magnificently dressed, I may tell you. His bottle-green coat was of the finest cloth and the most perfect cut I had ever seen. His cursemeer pantaloons fitted him without your wrinkle. He wore gloves, he carried a muff of priceless sibling and in his cravat there was a diamond the size of a broad bean.  Now, Monsieur Hectoratichon he said abruptly, perhaps you will be good enough to explain. I had risen when he entered, but now I sat down again and coolly pointed to the best chair in the room.  I reposted blandly. He called me names, rude names, but I took no notice of that and he sat down. No, he said once more.  I queried. Why you interfered in my affairs lights night? Do you complain? I asked. No, he admitted reluctantly. But I don't understand your object. My object was to serve you then, I rejoined quietly, and later. What do you mean by later? Today I replied, tomorrow, whenever your present position becomes absolutely unendurable. It is that now, he said with a savage oath. I thought as much was my curt comment. And do you mean to serve? He went on more earnestly, that you can find a way out of it? If you desire it, yes, I said. How? He drew his chair near to my desk and I leaned forward with my elbows on the table. The fingertips of one hand in contact with those of the other. Let us begin by reviewing the situation, shall we, Monsieur? I began. If you wish, he said curtly. You are a gentleman of refined, not to say luxurious tastes, who finds himself absolutely without means to gratify them. Is that so? He nodded. You have a wife and a father-in-law, who, whilst lavishing, costly treasures upon you, leave you in a humiliating dependence of them for actual money. Again he nodded approvingly. Human nature, I continued, with gentle indulgence. Being what it is, you pine after what you do not possess, namely money. Houses, icky-pashes, servants, even good food and wine are nothing to you beside the earnest desire for money that you can call your own, and which, if only you had it, you could spend at your pleasure. To the point, man, to the point, he broke in impatiently. En moment, Monsieur Le Maquis, and I have done. But first of all, with your permission, shall we also review the assets in your life, which we will have to use in order to arrive at the gratification of your earnest wish. Assets, what do you mean? The means to our end. You want money, we must find the means to get it for you. I begin to understand, he said and drew his chair another inch or two closer to me. Firstly, Monsieur Le Maquis, I resumed, and now my voice had become earnest and insensitive. Firstly, you have a wife, then you have a father-in-law, whose wealth is beyond the dreams of humble people like myself, and whose one great passion in life is the social position of the daughter whom he worships. Now, I added, and with the tip of my little finger, I touched the sleeve of my aristocratic client. Here at once is your first asset. Get at the money bags of papa by threatening the social position of his daughter. Whereupon my young gentleman jumped to his feet and swore and abused me for a mudlar and a muckworm, and I don't know what. He seized his Malacca cane and threatened me with it, and asked me how the devil I dared thus to speak of Madame Le Maquis de Formin Latour. He cursed and he stormed and you raved of his sixteen quarterings and of my lautishness. He did everything in fact except walk out of the room. I let him go on quietly. It was part of his programme, and we had to go through the performance. As soon as he gave me the chance of putting in a word edge ways, I rejoined quietly. We are not going to hurt Madame Le Maquis, monsieur. And if you do not want the money, let us say no more about it. Whereupon he calmed down. After a while he sat down again, this time with his cane between his knees and his ivory knob between his teeth. Go on, he said curtly. Nor did he interrupt me again whilst I expounded my scheme to him. One that mind you I had evolved during the night, knowing well that I should receive his visit during the day. And I flatter myself that no finer scheme for the bleeding of a parsimonious user was ever devised by any man. If it succeeded and there was no reason why it should not, Monsieur de Formin Latour would pocket a cool half million, whilst I, sir, the brain that had devised the whole scheme, pronounced myself satisfied with a paltry emolument of 100,000 francs, out of which, remember, I should have to give Theodore a considerable sum. We talked it all over, Monsieur Le Maquis and I, the whole afternoon. I may tell you at once that he was positively delighted with the plan, and then and there gave me 100 francs out of his own meager purse for my preliminary expenses. The next morning we began work. I had begged Monsieur Le Maquis to find the means of bringing me a few scraps of the late Monsieur Le Comte de Nacquées, Madame Le Maquis' first husband, and writing. This, fortunately, he was able to do. They were a few valueless notes penned at different times by the deceased gentleman, and which, luckily for us all, Madame had not thought it worth while to keep under lock and key. I think I told you before. Did I not? What a marvellous expert I am in every kind of calligraphy, and soon I had a letter ready, which was to represent the first fire in the exciting war, which we were about to wage against an obstinate lady and a parsimonious usurer. My identity is securely hidden under the disguise of a commissionery. I took that letter to Madame Le Maquis and made of a mine-latour sumptuous abode in the Rue de Gramon. Monsieur Le Maquis, you understand, had in the meanwhile been thoroughly primed in the role which he was to play. As for Theodore, I thought it best for the moment to dispense with his aid. The success of our first skirmish surpassed our expectations. Ten minutes after the letter had been taken upstairs to Madame Le Maquis, en av de maids on-going past her mistress' store was startled to hear cries and moans proceeding from Madame's room. She entered and found Madame lying on the sofa, her face buried in the cushions, and sobbing and screaming in a truly terrifying manner. The maid applied the usual restoratives and after a while Madame became more calm and at once very curtly ordered the maid out of the room. Monsieur Le Maquis, on being apprised of this mysterious happening, was much distressed. He hurried to his wife's apartments and was as gentle and loving with her as he had been in the early days of their honeymoon. But throughout the whole of that evening and indeed for the next two days, all the explanations that he could get from Madame herself was that she had a headache and that the letter which she had received that afternoon was of no consequence and had nothing to do with her migraine. But clearly the beautiful Rachel was extraordinarily agitated. At night she did not sleep but would pace up and down her apartments in a state bordering on frenzy, which of course caused Monsieur Le Maquis a great deal of anxiety and of sorrow. Finally, on the Friday morning it seemed as if Madame could contain herself no longer. She threw herself into her husband's arms and blurted out the whole truth. Monsieur Le Comte Nacquet, her first husband, who had been declared drowned at sea and therefore officially deceased by royal decree, was not dead at all. Madame had received a letter from him wherein he told her that he had indeed suffered shipwreck, then untold misery on a desert island for three years until he had been rescued by a passing vessel and finally been able, since he was destitute, to work his way back to France and to Paris. Here he had lived for the past few months as best he could, trying to collect together a little money so as to render himself presentable before his wife, whom he had never ceased to love.  Now he, Monsieur Le Nacquet, standing on his rights as Rachel Morsenstein's only lawful husband, demanded that she should return to him and as a prelude to a permanent and amicable understanding. She was to call at three o'clock precisely on the following Friday at number 96 Rue de Nore where the reconciliation and reunion was to take place. The letter announcing this terrible news and making this preposterous demand, she now placed in the hands of Monsieur Le Nacquet, who at first was horrified and thunderstrak and appeared quite unable to deal with the situation or to tender advice. For Madame it meant complete social ruin of course and she herself declared that she would never survive such a scandal. Her tears and her misery made the loving heart of Monsieur Le Nacquet bleed in sympathy. He did all he could console and comfort the lady, whom alas he could no longer look upon as his wife. Then gradually both he and she became more composed. It was necessary above all things to make sure that Madame was not being victimized by an imposter. And for this purpose Monsieur Le Nacquet generously offered himself as a disinterested friend and advisor. He offered to go himself to the Rue de Nore at the hour appointed and to do his best to induce Monsieur Le Compte Nacquet if indeed he existed to forego his rights on the lady who had so innocently taken on the name and hand of Monsieur Le Nacquet of a man d'attour. Somewhat more calm but still unconcerned the beautiful Rachel accepted this generous offer. I believe that she even found 5,000 France in her previous purse which was to be offered to Monsieur Le Nacquet in exchange for a promise never to worry Madame Le Nacquet's again with his presence. But this I have never been able to ascertain with any finality. Thirteen it is that when at three o'clock on that same afternoon Monsieur de Fermin Latour presented himself at my office he did not offer me a share in any 5,000 France though he spoke to me about the money adding that he thought it would look well if he were to give it back to Madame and to tell her that Monsieur Le Nacquet had rejected so paltrious sum with disdain. I thought such a move unnecessary and we argued about it rather warmly and in the end he went away as I say without offering me any share in the emolument. Whether he did put his project into execution or not I never knew. He told me that he did. After that there followed for me sir many days, nay weeks of anxiety and of strenuous work. Madame Le Nacquet's received several more letters from the superstitious Monsieur de Nacquet any one of which would have landed me sir in a vessel bound for New Caledonia. The discarded husband became more and more insistent as time went on and finally sent an ultimatum to Madame saying that he was tired of perpetual interviews with Monsieur Le Nacquet of Fermin Latour whose right to interfere in the matter he now fully denied and that he was quite determined to claim his lawful wife before the whole world. Madame Le Nacquet in the meanwhile had passed from one feat of hysterics into another. She denied her door to everyone and lived in the strictest seclusion in her beautiful apartment of the Rue du Gramon. Fortunately this all occurred in the early autumn when the absence of such a society star from fashionable gatherings was not as noticeable as it otherwise would have been. But clearly we were working up for the climax which occurred in the way I'm about to relate. End of chapter three, part one, read by Lars Rolande. Section six of castles in the air. This is a LibriVox recording or LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Reading by Lars Rolande. Castles in the air by Baroness Emusca Orksi. Chapter three on the brink, part two. Ah, my dear sir. When after all these years I think of my adventure with that abominable marquee. Righteous and noble indignation almost strikes me dumb. To think that with my own hands and brains I literally put half a million into that man's pocket and that he repaid me with a basist ingratitude almost makes me lose my faith in human nature. Theodore of course I could punish and did so adequately and where my chastisement failed fate herself put the finishing touch. But marquee de femman la tour. However, you shall judge for yourself. As I told you, we now made ready for the climax and that climax, sir. I can only describe as positively gorgeous. We began by presuming that madam la marquee's had now grown tired of incessant demands for interviews and small dose of money and that she would be willing to offer a considerable sum to her first and only lawful husband in exchange for a firm guarantee that he would never travel her again as long as she lived. We fixed the sum at half a million francs and the guarantee was to take the form of a deed duly executed by a notary of repute and signed by the superstitious Count de Nake. A letter embodying the demand and offering the guarantee was there upon duly sent to madam la marquee's and she, after the usual attack of hysterics, duly confined the matter to marquee de femman la tour. The consultation between husband and wife on the deplorable subject was touching in the extreme and I will give that abominable marquee credit for playing his role in a masterly manner. At first he declared to his dear Rachel that he did not know what to suggest for in truth she had nothing like half a million on which she could lay her hands. To speak of this awful pending scandal to Papa Mohsenstein was not to be thought of. He was capable of repudiating the daughter altogether was bringing such obliquy upon herself and would henceforth be of no use to him as a society star. As for himself in this terrible emergency he of course had less than nothing or his entire fortune would be placed if he had one at the feet of his beloved Rachel. To think that he was on the point of losing her was more than he could bear and the idea that he would soon become the talk of every gossipmonger in society and may have be put in prison for bigamy well night drew him crazy. What could be done in this awful perplexity he for one could not think unless indeed his dear Rachel were willing to part with some of her jewelry but no he could not think of allowing her to make such a sacrifice. Whereupon madame like a drowning man or rather woman catching at a straw bethought her of her emeralds. They were historic gems once the property of the Empress Marie Thérèse and had been given to her on her second marriage by her adoring father. No, no, she would never miss them. She seldom wore them for they were heavy and more valuable than elegant. And she was quite sure that at the Monct of Piety they would lend her 500,000 francs on them. Then gradually they could be redeemed before papa had become aware of their temporary disappearance. Madame would save the money out of the liberal allowance she received from him for pin money. Anything, anything was preferable to this awful doom which hung over her head. But even so, Monsieur Le Marquis demurred the thought of his proud and fashionable Rachel going to the Monct of Piety to pawn her own jewels was not to be thought of. She would be seen, recognized and the scandal would be as bad and worse than anything that loomed on the black horizon of her fate at this hour. What was to be done? What was to be done? Then Monsieur Le Marquis had a brilliant idea. He knew of a man, a very reliable trustworthy man, a turnet law by profession and therefore a man of repute who was often obliged in the exercise of his profession to don various disguises when tracking criminals in the outlying quarters of Paris. Monsieur Le Marquis putting all pride and dignity nobly aside in the interests of his adored Rachel would borrow one of these disguises and himself go to the Monct of Piety with the emeralds obtain the 500,000 francs and remit them to the man whom he hated most in all the world in exchange for the aforementioned guarantee. Madame Le Marquis overcome with gratitude through herself in the midst of a flood of tears into the arms of the man whom she no longer dared to call her husband and so the matter was settled for the moment. Monsieur Le Marquis undertook to have the deed of guarantee drafted by the same notary of repute whom he knew and if Madame approved of it the emeralds would then be converted into money and the interview with Monsieur Le Comte Nacquis fixed for Wednesday, October 10th at some convenient place. Subsequently to the be termed on in all probability at the Bureau of that same a bit with just attorney at law Monsieur Hector Pratichon at 96 Rue Donan all was going on excellently well as you observe. I duly drafted the deed and Monsieur de Formin Latour showed it to Madame for her approval. It was so simply and so comprehensively worded that she expressed herself thoroughly satisfied with it. Whereupon Monsieur Le Marquis asked her to write to her shameful prosecutor in order to fix the date and hour for the exchange of the money against the deed duly signed and witnessed. Monsieur Le Marquis had always been the intermediary for her letters, you understand. And for the small sums of money which she had sent from time to time to the factitious Monsieur de Nacquis now he was to be entrusted with the final negotiations which though at a heavy cost would bring security and happiness once more in the sumptuous palace of the Rue de Gramon. Then it was that the first little hitch occurred. Madame Le Marquis, whether prompted there to by a faint breath of suspicion or merely by natural curiosity altered her mind about the appointment. She decided that Monsieur Le Marquis having pledged the emeralds should bring the money to her and she herself would go to the Bureau of Monsieur Héctor Rattichon in the Rue de Nau there to meet Monsieur de Nacquis whom she had not seen for seven years but who had once been very dear to her and herself fling in his face the 500,000 France the price of his silence and of her peace of mind. At once as you perceive the situation became delicate. To have demurred or uttered more than a casual word of objection would in the case of Monsieur Le Marquis have been highly impolitic. He felt that at once the moment he raised his voice in protest and when Madame declared herself determined he immediately gave up arguing the point. The trouble was that we had so very little time wherein to formulate new plans. Monsieur was to go the very next morning to the Mont de Petit to negotiate the emeralds and the interview with the fabulous Monsieur de Nacquis was to take place a couple of hours later and it was now three o'clock in the afternoon. As soon as Machide Femann Latour was able to leave his wife he came round to my office. He appeared completely at his wits end not knowing what to do. If my wife he said insists on a personally interview with de Nacquis who does not exist our entire scheme falls to the ground. Nay, worse, for I shall be driven to concoct some impossible explanation for the non-appearance of that worthy and heaven only knows if I shall succeed in fully allaying my wife's suspicions. Ah, he added with a sigh. It is doubly hard to have seen fortune so near once reach and then to see it dashed away at one fell swoop by the relentless hand of fate. Not one word you observe of gratitude to me of recognition of the subtle mind that had planned and devised the whole scheme. But, sir, it is at the hour of supreme crisis like the present one that Ektor Attichon's genius soars up to the Empyrean. It became great, sir, nothing short of great and even the marvelous schemes of the Italian Machiavelli pale before the ingenuity which I now displayed. Half an hour's reflection had surfaced. I had made my plans and I had measured the full length of the terrible risks which I ran. Among these new Caledonia was the least but I chose to take the risks, sir. My genius could not stoop to measuring the costs of its flight. While Machidou Femalatour alternativt raid and lamented, I had already planned and contrived. As I say, we had very little time. A few hours were in to render ourselves worthy of fortune smiles and this is what I planned. You tell me that you were not in Paris during the year 1816 of which I speak. If you had been, you would surely recollect the sensation caused throughout the entire city by the disappearance of Monsieur le Machidou Femalatour, one of the most dashing young officers in society and one of its acknowledged leaders. It was the 10th day of October. Monsieur le Machidou had breakfasted in the company of Madame at nine o'clock. A couple of hours later, he went out saying he would be home for designee. Madame clearly expected him for his place was laid and she ordered the designee to be kept back over an hour in anticipation of his return. But he did not come. The afternoon wore on and he did not come. Madame sat down at two o'clock to designee alone. She told the major dormer that Monsieur le Machidou was detained in town and might not be home for some time. But the major dormer declared that Madame's voice as she told him this sounded tearful and forced and that she ate practically nothing, refusing one succulent dish after another. The staff of servants was last kept on the tenter hooks all day and when the shadows of evening began to draw in, the theory was started in the kitchen that Monsieur le Machidou had either met with an accident or been fouly murdered. No one, however, dared speak of this to Madame Lamakis who had locked herself up in a room in the early part of the afternoon and since then had refused to see anyone. The major dormer was now at his wits end. He felt that in a measure, the responsibility of the household rested upon his shoulders. Indeed, he would have taken it upon himself to prize Monsieur Moruss Morsenstein of the terrible happenings only that the worthy gentleman was absent from Paris just then.  Then she ordered dinner to be served and made pretence of sitting down to it. But again the major dormer declared that she ate nothing. While subsequently the confidential maid who had undressed her vowed that Madame had spent the whole night walking up and down the room. Thus two agonizing days went by, agonizing they were to everybody. Madame Lamakis became more and more agitated, more and more hysterical as time went on and the servants could not help but notice this even though she made light of the whole affair and desperate efforts to control herself. The heads of her household, the major dormer, the confidential maid, the chef du cuisine did venture to drop a hint or two as to the possibility of an accident or a foul play and the desirability of consulting the police. But Madame would not hear a word of it. She became very angry at the suggestion and declared that she was perfectly well aware of Monsieur Lamakis whereabouts, that he was well and would return home almost immediately. As was only natural, times presently began to wag. Soon it was common talk in Paris that Monsieur Lamakis de Females Latour had disappeared from his home and that Madame was trying to put a bold face upon the occurrence. There were surmises and there was gossip. Oh, interminable and long-winded gossip. Minute circumstances in connection with Monsieur Lamakis private life and Madame Lamakis' affair were freely discussed in the cafes, the clubs and restaurants. And as no one knew the facts of the case, surmises soon became very wide. On the third day, oh Monsieur Lamakis' disappearance, Papa Morsenstein returned to Paris from Wishi where he had just completed his annual cure. He arrived at Rue de Gramon at three o'clock in the afternoon, demanded to see Madame Lamakis at once and then remained closeted with her in her apartment for over an hour. After which he sent for the inspector of police of the section. With the result that that very same evening, Monsieur Lamakis de Females Latour was found locked up in an humble apartment on the top floor of a house in the Rue de Nour, not ten minutes walk from his own house. When the police acting on information supplied to them by Monsieur Marus Morsenstein forced their way into that apartment, they were horrified to find Monsieur Lamakis de Females Latour there, tied hand and foot with cords to a chair. His likely calls for help smothered by woollen shawl, wound loosely round the lower part of his face. He was half dead with in a nation and was conveyed speechless and helpless to his home in the Rue de Gramon, there presumably to be nursed back to health by Madame, his wife. Now in all this matter I ask you, sir, who ran the greatest risk? Why? I Hector Ratichon of course, Hector Ratichon, in whose apartment Monsieur de Females Latour was discovered in a position bordering on absolute in a nation. And the proof of this is that that self same night I was arrested at my lodgings at Pasi and charged with robbery and attempted murder. It was a terrible predicament for a respectable citizen, a man of integrity and reputation in which to find himself, but Papa Morsenstein was both tenacious and vindictive. His daughter driven to desperation at last and terrified that Monsieur Lamakis had indeed been fully murdered by Monsieur de Nakis had made a clean breast of the whole affair to her father. And he in his turn had put the minions of the law in full possession of all the facts. And since Monsieur de Comte Nakis had vanished leaving no manner of trace or clout of his person behind him, the police needing a victim fell back on an innocent man. Fortunately, sir, that innocence clear as crystal soon shines through every calamny. But this was not before I had suffered terrible indignities and all the tortures which base in gratitude can inflict upon a sensitive heart. Such ingratitude as I am about to relate to you has never been equaled on this earth. And even after all these years, sir, you see me overcome with emotion at the remembrance of it all. I was under arrest, remember, on a terribly serious charge, but conscious of my own innocence and of my unanswerable system of defense. I bore the preliminary examination by the juke d'instruction with exemplary dignity and patience. I knew, you see, that at my very first confrontation with my supposed victim, the latter would at once say, ah, but no, this is not the man who assaulted me. Our plan, which so far had been overwhelmingly successful, had been this. On the morning of the tenth, Monsieur de Fermin Latour, having pawned the emeralds and obtained the money for them, was to deposit that money in his own name at the bank of Reynel Freire and then at once go to the office in the Rue de Nore. There he would be met by Theodor who would bind him comfortably but securely to a chair, put a shawl around his mouth, and finally lock the door on him. Theodor would then go to his mother's and there remain quietly until I needed his services again. It had been thought inadvisable for me to be seen that morning anywhere in the neighborhood of the Rue de Nore, but the perfidious reptile Theodor ran no risks in doing what he was told. To begin with, he is a past master in the art of verming himself in and out of a house without being seen. And in this case it was his business to exercise a double measure of caution. And secondly, if by some unlucky chance the police did subsequently connect him with a crime, there was I his employer, a man of integrity and repute, prepared to swear that the man had been in my company at the other end of Paris, all the while that Mr. Lemakid of Amanda Tour was my special arrangement making use of my office in the Rue de Nore, which I had lent him for the purpose of business. Finally it was agreed between us that when Mr. Lemakid would presently be questioned by the police as to the appearance of the man who had assaulted and robbed him, he would describe him as tall and blonde, almost like an anglish in countenance. Now I possess, as you see sir, all the finest characteristics of the Latin race, whilst theater looks like nothing on earth, say perhaps a cross between a rat and a monkey. I wish you to realize therefore that no one ran any risks in this affair excepting myself. I as the proprietor of the apartment where the assault was actually supposed to have taken place did run a very grave risk because I could never have proved an alibi. Theater was such a disreputable mudlar that his testimony on my behalf would have been valueless. But with sublime sacrifice I accepted these risks and you will presently see sir how I was repaid for my selflessness. I pined in a lonely prison cell while these two limbs of Satan concocted a plot to rob me of my share in our mutual undertaking. Well sir, the day came when I was taken from my prison cell for the purpose of being confronted with a man whom I was accused of having assaulted. As you will imagine, I was perfectly calm. According to our plan, the confrontation would be the means of setting me free at once. I was conveyed to the house in the Rue de Gramon and here I was kept waiting for some little time while the juxte d'instruction went in to prepare Monsieur Le Maquis who was still far from well. Then I was introduced into the sick room. I looked about me with the perfect composure of an innocent man about to be vindicated and calmly gaste on the face of the sick man who was sitting up in his magnificent bed propped up with pillows. I met his glance firmly whilst Monsieur Le juxte d'instruction placed the question to him in a solemn and earnest tone. Monsieur Le Maquis de Forman naturen, will you look at the prisoner before you and tell us whether you recognize in him the man who assaulted you? And that perfidious maquis, sir, raised his eyes and looked me squarely. Yes, squarely in the face and said with incredible assurance, Yes, Monsieur Le Juxte, that is the man. I recognize him. To me it seemed then as if a thunderbolt had crashed through the ceiling and exploded at my feet. I was like one stunned and dazed. The black ingratitude, the abominable treachery, completely depred me of speech. I felt choked as if some poisonous effluvia, the poison, sir, of that man's infamy had got into my throat. The state of inertia lasted, I believe, less than a second. The next I had uttered a horse cry of noble indignation.  I would have thrown myself on him and strangled him with glee, but that minions of the law had me by the arms and dragged me away out of the hateful presence of that traitor, despite my obligations and my protestations of innocence. Imagine my feelings when I found myself once more in a prison cell, my heart filled with unspeakable bitterness against that perfidious Judas. Can you wonder that he took me sometime before I could collect my thoughts sufficiently to review my situation, which no doubt to the villain himself who just played me this abominable trick must have seemed desperate indeed. Ah, I could see it all, of course. He wanted to see me sent to New Caledonia whilst he enjoyed the fruits of his unpardonable backsliding. In order to retain the miserable hundred thousand France, which he had promised me, he did not hesitate to plunge up to the neck in this heinous conspiracy. Yes, conspiracy. For the very next day when I was once more hailed before the just instruction, another confrontation awaited me, this time with that scurvy ruche theater, he had been subboned by Monsieur Lemakki to turn against the hand that fed him. What price he was paid for this Judas trick I shall never know. And all that I do know is that he actually swore before the just instruction that Monsieur Lemakki de Fermin Latour called at my office in the late forenown of the 10th of October, that I then ordered him theater to go out to get his dinner first and then to go all the way over to Ney with a message to someone who turned out to be nonexistent. He went on to assert that when he returned at six o'clock in the afternoon, he found the office door locked and I his employer presumably gone. This at first greatly upset him because he was supposed to sleep on the premises but seeing that there was too much work but seeing that there was nothing for it but to accept the inevitable, he went round to his mother's rooms at the back of the fish market and remained there ever since waiting to hear from me. That, sir, was the tissue of lies which that jailbird had concocted for my undoing, knowing well that I could not disprove them because it had been my task on that eventful morning to keep an eye on Monsieur Lemakki whilst he went to the Montepieté first and then to Monsieur Ghanel Frère the bankers where he deposited the money. For this purpose I had been obliged to don a disguise which I had not discarded till later in the day and thus was unable to disprove satisfactorily the monstrous lies told by that perjurer. Ah, I can see that sympathy for my unmerited misfortuns has filled your eyes with tears. No doubt in your heart you feel that my situation at that hour was indeed desperate and that I, Hectoratichon the confident of kings, the benefactor of the oppressed did spend the next few years of my life in a penal settlement where those arch-malifactors themselves should have been. But no, sir. Fate may be a fickle, Jade. Rouge may appear triumphant but not for long, sir. Not for long. It is brains that conquer in the end. Brains backed by righteousness and by justice. Whether I had actually foreseen the tre-cherry of those two rattlesnakes or whether my habitual caution and acumen alone prompted me to take those measures of precaution for which I am about to tell you, I cannot truthfully remember. Certain it is that I did take those precautions which ultimately proved to be the means of compensating me for most that I had suffered. It had been a part of the original plan that on the day immediately following the 10th of October I, in my own capacity as Hector Rattishan who had been absent from my office for twenty-four hours would arrive there in the morning find the place locked, force an entrance into the apartment and there find Monsieur Lemakki in his pitable plight after which I would of course immediately notify the police of the mysterious occurrence. That had been the role that I had intended to play. Monsieur Lemakki approved of it and had professed himself quite willing to endure a twenty-four hours martyrdom for the sake of half a million frans. But as I have just had the honor to tell you something which I will not attempt to explain prompted me at the last moment to modify my plan in one little respect. I thought it too soon to go back to the Ruudanour with twenty-four hours of our well-contributed coup and I did not altogether care for the idea of going myself to the police in order to explain to them that I had found a man gagged and bound in my office. The less one has to do with these minions of the law the better. Mind you I had envisaged the possibility of being accused of assault and robbery but I did not wish to take the very first steps myself in that direction. You might call this a matter of sentiment or of prudence as you wish. So I waited until the evening of the second day before I got the key from Theodore. Then before the concierge at 96 Ruudanour had closed the Port-Cochère for the night I slipped into the house unobsurd, ran up the stairs I struck a light and made my way to the inner room where the wretched Marquis hung in the chair like a bundle of rags. I called to him but he made no movement. As I had anticipated he had fainted for want of food of course I was very sorry for him for his plight was pitiful but he was playing for high stakes and a little starvation does no man any harm. In his case there was one at the end of this brief martyrdom which could at worst only last another twenty-four hours. I reckon that Madame Lemaquise could not keep the secret of her husband's possible whereabouts longer than that and in any event I was determined that despite all risks I would go myself to the police on the following day. In the meanwhile since I was here Monsieur Lemaquise was unconscious I proceeded then and there to take the precaution which prudence had dictated and without which seeing this man's treachery and theor's villainy I should undoubtedly have ended my days as a convict. What I did was to search Monsieur Lemaquise's pockets for anything that might subsequently prove useful to me. I had no definite idea I had vague notions of finding the bankers receipt for the half million France. Well, I did not find that but I did find the receipt from the Montipéter for a parture of emeralds on which half a million France had been lent. This I carefully put away in my waistcoat pocket but as there was nothing else I wished to do just then I extinguished the light and made my way cautiously out of the apartment and out of the house. No one had seen me enter or go out and Monsieur Lemaquise had not stirred while I went through his pockets. That, sir, was the precautions which I had taken in order to safeguard myself against the machinations of traitors and see how right I was see how hopeless would have been my plight at this hour when Theodor II turned against me like the terrible viper that he was. I never really knew when and under what conditions the infamous bargain was struck which was intended to decree me of my honor and of my liberty nor do I know what emolument Theodor was to receive for his treachery. Presumably the two Miss Koreans arranged it all some time in their service. As for Marquise de Fermin Latour that worker of Inquiti who in order to save a paltry hundred thousand France from the board which I had helped him to acquire did not hesitate to commit such an abominable crime. He did not long remain in the enjoyment of his wealth or of his peace of mind. The very next day I made certain statements with regard to Monsieur Maurice Morsenstein which caused the former to summon the worthy Israeli to his bureau there to be confronted with me. I had nothing more to lose since those excreable ruse had already as it were tightened the rope about my neck but I had a great deal to gain revenge above all and perhaps the gratitude of Monsieur Morsenstein for sending his eyes to the riskality of his son-in-law. In a stream of eloquent words which could not fail to carry conviction I gave then and there in the bureau of the Jewish Instruction my version of the events of the past few weeks from the moment when Monsieur Marquise de Fermin Latour came to consult me on the subject of his wife's first husband until the hour of crime upon me. I told how I had been deceived by my own employee, Theodore a man whom I had rescued out of the gutter and loaded with gifts. How, by dint of a clever disguise which would have deceived his own mother he had assumed the appearance and personality of Monsieur Le Comte first and only lawful lord of the beautiful Rachel Morsenstein. I told of the interviews in my office, my earnest desire to put an end to this abominable blackmailing by informing the police of the whole affair. I told of the false Monsieur de Marquise threats to create a gigantic scandal which would forever ruin the social procession of the so-called Marquise de Fermin Latour. I told of Monsieur de Marquise agonised entreatise his prayers, supplications that I would do nothing in the matter for the sake of an innocent lady who had already grievously suffered. I spoke of my doubts, my scruples, my desire to do what was just and what was right. A noble exposition of the situation, sir, you will admit. It left me hot and breathless. I mocked my head with a handkerchief and sank back gasping in the arms of the minions of the law. The russ d'ins roxion ordered my removal to my prison cell but into his own enter room where I presently collapsed upon a very uncomfortable bench and endured the additional humiliation of having a glass of water held to my lips. Water when I had asked for a drink of wine as my throat felt parched after that lengthy effort of oratory. However, there I sat and waited patiently Monsieur le russ d'ins roxion and the noble Israeli were comparing notes as to their impression of my marvellous speech. I had not longed to wait less than ten minutes later I was once more summoned into the presence of Monsieur le russ and this time the minions of the law were ordered to remain in the enter chamber. I thought this was of good augury and I waited to hear Monsieur le russ give forth the order that would at once set me free but it was Monsieur Morsenstein who first addressed me and in very true surprise rendered me momentarily dumb when he did it thus. Now then you consummate rascal when you have given up the receipt of the mourn de pieté which you stole out of Monsieur le marquis pocket you may go and carry on your rugeries elsewhere yourself mightily lucky to have escaped so lightly I assure you sir that a feather would have knocked me down the coarse insult the wanton injustice had depreded me of the use of my limbs and of my speech then the Jewish d'ins roxion proceeded dryly now then ratishon you've heard what Monsieur Maurice Morsenstein would enough to say to you he did it with my approval and consent I am prepared to give an ordinance de non lieux in your favor which will have the effect of at once setting you free if you will restore to this gentleman here the mourn de pieté receipt which you appear to have stolen Sir I said with consummate dignity in the face of his reiterated tone I have stolen nothing Monsieur le jus hand was already on the bell pole then he said coley I can ring for the shun down to take you back to the cells and you will stand your trial for blackmail, theft, assault and robbery I put up my hand with an elegant and perfectly calm gesture your pardon Monsieur le jus I said with a gentle resignation I was about to say that when I revisited my rooms in the read and know after a three days absence and found the police in possession I picked up on the floor of my private room a white paper which on subsequent examination proved to be a receipt from the mourn de pieté for some valuable gems and made out in the name of Monsieur le marquis what have you done with it you abominable knife the iraskable old usur rejoined roughly and I regret to say that he grasped his malaka cane with ominous violence but I was not to be thus easily intimidated ah voila Monsieur le jus I said with a shrug of the shoulders I have mislaid it I do not know where it is if you do not find it Morsenstein went on savagely you will find yourself on a convict ship for long in which case no doubt I retorted with suave urbanity the police will search my rooms where I lodge and they will find the receipt from the mourn de pieté which I had mislaid and then the gossip will be all over Paris that Madame la maquist of a malatour had to porn her jewels in order to satisfy the exigenesis of her first and only lawful husband who has since mysteriously disappeared and some people will wow that he never came back from the antipodes whilst others by far the most numerous will shrug their shoulders and sigh one never knows which will be exceedingly unpleasant for Madame la maquist both Monsieur Morsenstein and the rich d'instruction said a great deal more that afternoon I may say that their attitude towards me and the language that they used were positively scandalous but I had become now the master of the situation and I could afford to ignore their insults in the end everything was settled quite amicably I agreed to dispose of the receipt from the mourn de pieté to Monsieur Morsenstein for the sum of 200 francs and for another hundred I would indicate to him the banking house where his precious son in law had deposited the half million francs obtained for the emeralds this latter information I would indeed have offered him gratuitously had he but known with what immense pleasure I thus put a spoke in that navy martis wheel of fortune the worthy israelis for 200 francs so long as I kept silent upon the entire subject for madame la maquise's first husband and or monsieur la maquise's role in the mysterious affair of the read and all for thus was the fair class amongst the police records no one outside the chief actors of the drama and monsieur la juxteinstruction even knew the true history of how a dashing young left to starve for three days in the humble apartment of an attorney at law of undisputed repute and no one outside the private bureau or monsieur la juxteinstruction even knew what it cost the wealthy monsieur Morsenstein to have the whole affair classed and hushed up as for me I had 300 francs as payment for work which I had risked my neck and my reputation to accomplish 300 instead of the hundred thousand which I had so richly deserved that and a portrait 200 francs a year which was to cease the moment that as much as a rumour of the whole affair was breathed in public as if I could help people talking but monsieur la maquise did not enjoy the fruits of his philany and I had again the satisfaction of seeing him gnaw his fingers nails whenever the lovely Rachel paid for his dinner at fashionable restaurants indeed papa Morsenstein tightened the strings of his money bags even more securely than he had done in the past under threats of prosecution for theft and I know not what he forced his son in law to discourage the half million which he had so pleasantly tacked away in the banking house of Reinal Freire and I was indeed thankful that prudence had on that memorable morning suggested to me the advisability of dogging the Marquis footsteps I doubt not but what he knew whence had come the thunderbolt which had crushed his last hopes of an independent fortune and no doubt too he does not cherish feelings of goodwill towards me but this eventually leaves me cold he has only himself to thank for his misfortune everything would have gone well but for his treachery we would have become affluent he and I and Theodore Theodore has gone to live with his mother who has a fish stall in the hall she gives him three soos a day for washing down the stall and selling the fish when it has become too odorous for the ordinary customers and he might have had 500 francs for himself and remain my confidential clerk End of chapter 3 part 2 Red by Lars Rolander Section 7 of castles in the air This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Reading by Lars Rolander Castles in the Air by Baroness Emusca Orksi Chapter 4 Carissimo part 1 You must not think for a moment my dear sir that I was ever actually deceived in Theodore Was it likely that I who am by temperament and habit accustomed to read human visages like a book I would fail to see the craftiness in those pale, shifty eyes deceit in the weak, slobbering mouth in temperance in the whole aspect of the shrunken slouchy figure which I had for my subsequent sorrow so generously rescued from starvation Generous I was more than generous to him They say that the poor are the friends of the poor and I told you how poor we were in those days Ah, but poor, my dear sir You have no conception Meat in Paris in the autumn of 1816 was 24 francs the kilo and milk one franc the quarter liter Not to mention eggs and butter which were delicacies far beyond the reach of cultured well-born people like myself And yet throughout that trying year I fed Theodore Yes, I fed him He used to share onion pie with me whenever I partook of it and he had haricott soup every day into which I allowed him to boil the skins of all the sausages and the luscious bones of all the cutlets of which I happened to partake Then think what he cost me in drink Never could I leave a half or quarter bottle of wine but he would finish it His impudent fingers made light of every lock and key I dare not allow as much as a suit to rest in the pocket of my coat but he would ferret it out the moment I hung the coat up in the outer room and my back was turned for a few seconds After a while I was forced Yes, I, sir who have spoken on terms of equality with kings I was forced to go out and make my own purchases in the neighboring provision shops And why? But cause if I sent Theodore and gave him a few su wherewith to make these purchases he would spend the money at the nearest cabaret in getting drunk of up-sinked He robbed me, sir, shamefully despite the fact that he had 10% commission under all the profits of the firm I gave him 20 francs out of the money which I had earned at the suite of my brow in the service of Estelle Bachelier 20 francs, sir Reckoning 200 francs as business profit on the affair a generous provision you will admit And yet he taunted me with having received a thousand This was mere guesswork, of course And I took no notice of his taunts Did the brains that conceived the business deserve no payment Was my labor to be counted astros the humiliation the blows which I had to endure while he sat in hoggish content eating and sleeping without thought for the moral After which he calmly pocketed the 20 francs to earn which he had not raised one finger And then demanded more No, no, my dear sir You will believe me or not That man could not go straight Times out of count he would try and deceive me despite the fact that once or twice he very nearly came hopelessly to grief in the attempt Now just to give you an instance About this time Paris was in the grip of a gang of thieves as unscrupulous and heartless as they were daring Can you wonder at it with that awful peenery about and a number of expensive tutu running about the streets under the very noses of the indigent proletariat The ladies of the aristocracy and of the wealthy bourgeoisie had imbibed this craze for lapdogs during their sojourn in England And being women of the Latin race and of undisciplined temperament they were just then carrying their craze to excess As I was saying this indulgence led to wholesome thieving Tutus were abstracted from their adoring mistresses with marvellous adroitness where upon two or three days would elaps while the adoring mistresses wet buckets full of tears by the police by the airs in search of her pet The next act in the tragic comedy would be an anonymous demand for money bearing an amount in accordance with the known or supposed wealth of the lady and an equally anonymous threat of dire vengeance upon the tutu if the police were put upon the track of the thieves You will ask me no doubt what all this had to do with theatre Well, I will tell you You must know that of late he had become extraordinarily haughty and independent I could not keep him to his work His duties were to sweep the office he did not do it to light the fires I had to light them myself every morning to remain in the ante room and show clients in he was never at his post In fact he was never there when I did want him morning, noon and night he was out guiding about and coming home sir, only to eat and sleep I was seriously thinking of giving him the sack and then one day he disappeared Yes sir, disappeared completely as if the earth had swallowed him up One morning it was in the beginning of December and the cold was biting I arrived at the office and found that his chair bed which stood in the ante chamber had not been slept in In fact that it had not been made up of a night In the cupboard I found the remnants of an onion pie, half a sausage and a quarter of a liter of wine which proved conclusively that he had not been in to supper At first I was not greatly disturbed in my mind I found out quite recently that Theodore had some sort of a squalid home of his own somewhere behind the fish market together with an old and fully disreputable mother who applied him with a drink whenever he spent an evening with her and either he or she had a frang in their pocket Still after these boots spent in the bosom of his family he usually returned to sleep them off at my expense in my office I had unfortunately very little to do that day So in the late afternoon not having seen anything of Theodore at all I turned my steps toward the house behind the fish market where lived the mother of that ungrateful wretch The woman's surprise when I inquired after a precious son was undoubtedly genuine Her lamentations and crocodile tears certainly were not She reeked of alcohol and the one room which she inhabited was indescribably filthy I offered her half a frang if she gave me authentic news of Theodore knowing well that for that sum she would have sold him to the devil But very obviously she knew nothing of his whereabouts and I soon made haste to shake the dirt of her abode from my hees I had become vagely anxious I wondered if he had been murdered somewhere down a backstree and if I should miss him very much I did not think that I would Moreover, no one could have any object in murdering Theodore in his own stupid way he was harmless enough and he certainly was not possessed of anything worse stealing I myself was not over fond of the man but I should not have bothered to murder him Still, I was undoubtedly anxious and slept but little that night thinking of the wretch When the following morning I arrived at my office and still could see no trace of him I had serious thoughts of putting the law in motion on his behalf Just then however an incident occurred which drove all thoughts of such an insignificant personage as Theodore from my mind I had just finished tidying up the office when there came a preemptory ring at the outer door repeated at intervals of 20 seconds or so It meant giving a hasty glance all round to see that no fragments of onion pie or of cheap claree lingered in unsuspected places and it meant my going myself to open the door to my impatient visitor I did it sir and then at the door I stood transfixed I had seen many beautiful women in my day great ladies of the court brilliant ladies of the consulate the directorate and the empire but never in my life had I seen such an exquisite and resplendent apparition as the one which now sailed through the ante chamber of my humble abode Sir Hector Ratishon's heart has ever been susceptible to the charms of beauty in distress this lovely being sir who now at my invitation entered my office and sank with perfect grace into the armchair was in obvious distress tears hung on the fringe of her dark lashes and the gossamer like handkerchief which she held in her dainty hand was nothing but a wet drag she gave herself exactly two minutes were in to compose herself after which she dried her eyes and turned the full artillery of her bewitching glance upon me Monsieur Ratishon she began even before I had taken my accustomed place at my desk and assumed that engaging smile which inspires confidence even in the most timorous Monsieur Ratishon they tell me that you are so clever and oh I am in such trouble Madame I rejoined with noble simplicity you may trust me to do the impossible in order to be of service to you admirably put you will admit I have always been counted a master of appropriate diction and I had been quick enough to note the plain band of gold which encircled the third finger of her dainty left hand flanked though it was by a multiplicity of diamond pearl and other dual rings you are kind Monsieur Ratishon resumed the butchers creature more calmly but indeed you will require all the ingenuity of your resourceful brain in order to help me in this matter I am struggling in the grip of a relentless fate which if you do not help me will leave me broken hearted command me madame I reposted quietly from out the daintiest of reticules the fair lady now extracted a very greasy and very dirty bit of paper and handed it to me with the brief request read this I pray you my goodness Monsieur Ratishon I took the paper it was a clumsily worded demand for 5,000 francs failing which some the thing which madame had lost would forthwith be destroyed I looked up puzzled at my fair client my darling my dear Monsieur Ratishon she said in reply to my mute query my dear Monsieur Ratishon I stammered yet further intrigued my darling pet terrible creature the companion of my lonely hours she did join once more bursting into tears if I loose him my heart will inevitably break I understood at last madame has lost her dog I asked she nodded it has been stolen by one of those expert dog thieves who then levy blackmail on the unfortunate owner in a scent I read the dirty almost illegible scroll through more carefully this time it was a clumsy notification addressed to madame la conteste null de sang prix to the effect that her tutu was for the moment safe and would be restored to the arms of his fond mistress provided the sum of 5,000 francs was deposited in the hands of the bearer of the missive to where and how the money was to be deposited madame la conteste null was on the third day from this at six o'clock in the evening precisely to go in person and alone to the angle of the Rue Géné Gau and the Rue Massarin at the rear of the institute there two men would meet her one of whom would have charisma in his arms to the other she must hand over the money whereupon the pet would at once be hand it back to her but if she failed to keep this appointment or if in the meanwhile she made the slightest attempt to trace the writer of the missive or to lay trap for his capture by the police charisma would at once meet with the summary death these were the usual tactics of experienced dog thieves only that in this case the demand was certainly exorbitant 5,000 francs but even so I cast a rapid and comprehensive glance on the brilliant apparition before me the dual rings, the diamonds in the shell like ears the priceless fur coat and with an expressive shrug of the shoulders I handed the dirty scrap of paper back to its fair recipient Allas madame I said taking care that she should not guess how much it cost me to give her such advice I am afraid that in such cases there is nothing to be done if you wish to save your pet you will have to pay Ah, but monsieur she exclaimed tearfully you don't understand charisma is all the world to me and this is not the first time nor yet the second that he has been stolen from me three times my good Monsieur Ratichand three times has he been stolen and three times have I received such peremptory demands for money for his safe return and every time the demand has been more and more exorbitant less than a month ago Monsieur Le Comte paid 3,000 francs for his recovery Monsieur Le Comte I queried my husband sir I cried with an exquisite air of hot Monsieur Le Comte de Nolde Saint-Prix Ah, then I continued calmly I fear me that Monsieur de Nolde Saint-Prix will have to pay again but he won't she now cried out in a voice broken with sobs and incontinently once more secured her gossamer handkerchief with her tears then I see nothing for it madame I rejoined much against my will with a slight touch of impatience I see nothing for it but that yourself Ah, but Monsieur she retorted with a sigh that would have melted a heart of stone that is just my difficulty I cannot pay madame I protested oh, if I had money of my own she continued with an adorable gesture of impatience I would not worry me voila I have not a silver frang of my own to bless myself with Monsieur Le Comte is over generous he pays all my bills without a murmur he pays my dressmaker my furrier he loads me with gifts and dispenses charity on a lavish scale in my name I have horses carriages, servants I can possibly want and more but I never have more than a few hundred frans to dispose of up to now I have never for a moment felt the want of money today when Charism was being lost to me I feel the entire horror of my position but surely madame I urged Monsieur Le Comte no Monsieur she replied Monsieur Le Comte has flatly refused this time and he paid these abominable thieves for the recovery of Charissimo he upgrades himself for having yielded to their demands on the three previous occasions he calls these demands blackmailing and wows that to give them money again is to encourage them in their nefarious practices oh, he has been cruel to me cruel for the first time in my life Monsieur my husband has made me unhappy and if I loose my darling now I shall indeed be broken hearted I was silent for a moment or two I was beginning to wonder what part I should be expected to play in the tragedy which was being unfolded before me by this lovely but impecunius creature madame Le Comte I suggested tentatively after a while George jewelry you must have a vast number which you seldom wear 5000 francs is soon made up you see sir my hopes of a really good remunerative business had by now dwindledown to vanishing point all that was left of them was a vague idea that the beautiful Comte would perhaps employ me as an intermediary for the sale of some of her jewelry in which case but already her next words disillusioned me even on that point no monsieur she said what would be the use through one of the usual perverse tricks of fate Monsieur Le Comte would be sure to inquire after the very piece of jewelry of which I had so disposed and moreover moreover yes madame Le Comte moreover my husband is right she concluded decisively if I give in to those thieves today and pay them 5000 francs they would only set to work to steal charisma again and demand 10,000 francs from me another time I was silent what could I say her argument was indeed unanswerable no my good monsieur Ratishan she said very determinedly after a while I have quite decided that you must confound those thieves they have given me 3 days grace as you see in their abominable letter if after 3 days the money is not forthcoming and if in the meanwhile I dare to set a trap for them or in any way communicate with the police my darling charisma will be killed and my heart be broken madame Le Comte I entreated for a truth I could not bear to see her cry again you must bring charisma back to me Monsieur Ratishan she continued peremptorily before those awful 3 days have elapsed I swear that I will I rejoin solemnly but I must admit that I did it entirely on the spur of the moment for of truth I saw no prospect whatever of being able to accomplish what she decide without my paying a single Louis to those acceptable thieves the exquisite creature went on peremptorily it shall be done madame La Comtes and let me tell you she now added with the sweetest an artist of smiles that if you succeed in this Monsieur Le Comte de Nôles de Saint-Prix will glad you pay you the 5000 francs which he refuses to give to those miscreants 5000 francs a mist swam before my eyes me madame La Comtes I stammered oh she added with an adorable up tilting of a little chin I'm not promising what I cannot fulfil Monsieur Le Comte de Nôles only said this morning apropos of dog thieves that he would gladly give 10,000 francs to anyone who succeeded in ridding society of such pests I could have knelt down on the hard floor sir and well then madame was my ready rejoinder why not 10,000 francs to me she beat her coral lips but she also smiled I could see that my personality and my manners had greatly impressed her I will only be responsible for the first 5000 she said likely but for the rest I can confidently assure you that you will not find a miser in Monsieur Le Comte de Nôles de Saint-Prix I could have knelt down on the hard floor sir and kissed her exquisite chodfi 5000 francs certain perhaps 10 a fortune sir in those days one that would keep me in comfort ne affluence until something else turned up I was swimming in the imperium and only came rudely to earth when I've recollected that I should have to give theor something for his share of the business ah fortunately that for the moment he was comfortably out of the way thoughts that perhaps he had been murdered after all once more coursed through my brain not unpleasantly I'll admit I would not have raised a finger to hurt the fellow even though he had treated me with a basist ingratitude and treachery but if someone else took the trouble to remove him why indeed should I quarrel with fate back I came swiftly to the happy present the lovely creature was showing me a beautiful painted miniature of charisma a king Charles Spaniel of no common type this she suggested that I should be by me for the present for purposes of identification after this we had to go into the details of the circumstances under which she had lost her pet she had been for a walk with him it seems along the cave Voltaire and was returning home by the side of the river when suddenly a number of workmen in blouses and peak caps came trooping out of the side street and obstructed her progress she had charisma on the lead and she at once submitted to me that at first she never thought of connecting this pushing and justing rabble with any possible theft she held her ground for a while facing the crowd for a few moments she was right in the midst of it and just then she felt the dog straining at the lead she turned round at once with the intention of picking him up when to her horror she saw just only a bundle of something weighty at the end of the lead and that the dog had disappeared the whole incident occurred the lovely creature declared within the space of 30 seconds the next instant the crowd had scattered in several directions the men running and laughing as they went Madame Lacomtes was left standing alone on the cave not a passer by in sight and the only shunned down visible a long way down the cave had his back turned toward her Nevertheless she ran and hide him and presently he turned and realizing that something was amiss he too ran to meet her he listened to her story swore lustily but shrugged his shoulders in token that the tale did not surprise him and that but little could be done Nevertheless he had once summoned those of his colleagues who were on duty in the neighborhood and one of them went off immediately to notify the theft at the nearest commissariat of police after which they all proceeded to comprehensive scoring of the many tortures side streets of the catier but needless to say there was no sign of Carissimo or his abductors that night my lovely client went home distracted the following evening when broken hearted she wandered down the cave and over again the agonizing moments during which he lost her pick a workman in a blau blues with a peak cap pulled well over his eyes lurched up against her and thrust into her hand the missive which he had just show me he then disappeared into the night and she had only the vagest possible recollection of his appearance that sir was the substance of the story which the lovely creature told me in a voice off chocked with tears I questioned her very closely and in my most impressive professional manner as to the identity of any one man among the crowd who might have attracted her attention but all that she could tell me was that she had a vague impression of a vicent hunchback with evil face shaggy red beard and hair and a black patch covering the left eye End of chapter 4 Part 1 Red by Lars Rolander