"Is your name Goulard?" demanded the stranger in a high voice.

"I am the sub-prefect, monsieur," replied Antonin Goulard.

"Your father belonged to the Simeuse family?"

"And I, monsieur, belong to the government; that is how times differ."

"You have a servant named Julien, who has tried to entice the Princesse de Cadignan's maid away from her?"

"Monsieur, I do not allow any one to speak to me in this manner," said Goulard; "you misunderstand my character."

"And you want to know about mine!" returned the Unknown. "Well, I will now make myself known. You can write in the landlord's book: 'Impertinent fellow. Direct from Paris. Age doubtful. Travelling for pleasure.' It would be rather a novelty in France to imitate England and let people come and go as they please, without tormenting them at every turn for 'papers.' I have no pa.s.sport; now, what will you do to me?"

"The _procureur-du-roi_ is walking up and down there under the lindens,"

said the sub-prefect.

"Monsieur Marest! Wish him good-morning from me."

"But who are you?"

"Whatever you wish me to be, my dear Monsieur Goulard," said the stranger. "You alone shall decide _what_ I am to be in this department.

Give me some advice on that head. Here, read that."

And the stranger handed the sub-prefect the following letter:--

(Confidential.) Prefecture of the Aube.

Monsieur the Sub-prefect,--You will consult with the bearer of this letter as to the election at Arcis, and you will conform to all the suggestions and requests he may make to you. I request you to conduct this matter with the utmost discretion, and to treat the bearer with all the respect that is due to his station.

The letter was written and signed by the prefect of the Aube.

"You have been talking prose without knowing it," said the Unknown, taking back the letter.

Antonin Goulard, already struck with the aristocratic tone and manners of this personage, became respectful.

"How was that, monsieur?" he asked.

"By endeavoring to entice Anicette. She told us of the attempts of your man Julien to corrupt her. But my little tiger, Paradise, got the better of him, and he ended by admitting that you wanted to put Anicette into the service of one of the richest families in Arcis. Now, as the richest family in Arcis is the Beauvisage family I make no doubt it is Mademoiselle Cecile who covets this treasure."

"Yes, monsieur."

"Very good; then Anicette shall enter the Beauvisage household at once."

He whistled. Paradise presented himself so rapidly that his master said: "You were listening!"

"In spite of myself, Monsieur le comte; these part.i.tions are nothing but paper. But if Monsieur le comte prefers, I will move upstairs."

"No, you can listen; it is your perquisite. It is for me to speak low when I don't want you to know my affairs. Go back to Cinq-Cygne, and give this gold piece to that little Anicette from me. Julien shall have the credit of enticing her away," he continued, addressing Goulard.

"That bit of gold will inform her that she is to follow him. Anicette may be useful to the success of our candidate."

"Anicette?"

"Monsieur, it is now thirty-two years since lady's-maids have served my purposes. I had my first adventure at the age of thirteen, like the regent, the great-great-grandfather of our present King. Do you know the fortune of this Mademoiselle Beauvisage?"

"I can't help knowing it, monsieur, for yesterday at Madame Marion's, Madame Beauvisage said openly that Monsieur Grevin, Cecile's grandfather, would give his granddaughter the hotel de Beauseant in Paris and two hundred thousand francs for a wedding present."

The stranger's eyes expressed no surprise. He seemed to consider the fortune rather paltry.

"Do you know Arcis well?" he asked of Goulard.

"I am the sub-prefect and I was born here."

"What is the best way to balk curiosity?"

"By satisfying it. For instance, Monsieur le Comte has a baptismal name; let him register that with the t.i.tle of count."

"Very good; Comte Maxime."

"And if monsieur will a.s.sume the position of a railway official, Arcis will be content; it will amuse itself by floating that stick at least for a fortnight."

"No, I prefer to be concerned in irrigation; it is less common. I have come down to survey the wastelands of Champagne in order to reclaim them. That will be, my good Monsieur Goulard, a reason for inviting me to dine with you to-morrow to meet the mayor and his family; I wish to see them, and study them."

"I shall be only to happy to receive you," said the sub-prefect; "but I must ask your indulgence for the deficiencies of my little household."

"If I succeed in managing the election of Arcis according to the wishes of those who have sent me here, you, my dear friend, will be made a prefect. Here, read these"; and he held out two letters to his visitor.

"Very good, Monsieur le comte," said Antonin, returning them.

"Make a list of all the votes on which the ministry may count. Above all, let no one suspect that you and I understand each other. I am a speculator in land, and I don't care a fig for elections."

"I will send the commissary of police to force you to inscribe your name on Poupart's register."

"So do. Adieu, monsieur. Heavens! what a region this is," said the count, in a loud voice; "one can't take a step without having the community, sub-prefect and all, on one's back."

"You will have to answer to the commissary of police, monsieur," said Antonin, in an equally loud tone.

And for the next twenty minutes Madame Mollot talked of the altercation that took place between the sub-prefect and the stranger.

"Well, what wood is the beam that has plumped into our bog made of?"

said Olivier Vinet when Antonin Goulard rejoined them on leaving the Mulet.

"He is a Comte Maxime who is here to study the geological system of Champagne, with a view to finding mineral waters," replied the sub-prefect, with an easy manner.

"Say a speculator," said Oliver.

"Does he expect to get the natives to lay out capital?" asked Monsieur Martener.

"I doubt if our royalists will go into that kind of mining," remarked Vinet, laughing.