Vautrin Your grat.i.tude! Ah, senorita, if we are to reckon accounts I should consider myself in debt to your ill.u.s.trious father, after having the happiness to see you.

Lafouraille Jo.

Vautrin Caracas, y mouli joro, fistas, ip souri.

Lafouraille Souri, joro.

Vautrin (to the ladies) Ladies, here are your letters. (Aside to Lafouraille) Go round from the antechamber to the court, close your lips, open your ears; hands off, eye on the watch.

Lafouraille Ja, mein herr.

Vautrin (angrily) Souri joro, fistas.

Lafouraille Joro. (whispering) There are the de Langeac papers.

Vautrin I am not for the emanc.i.p.ation of the negroes! When there are no more of them, we shall have to do with whites.

Inez (to her mother) Mother, allow me to go and read my father's letter. (To Vautrin) General-- (She bows.)

Vautrin She is charming, may she be happy!

(Exit Inez, accompanied to the door by her mother.)

SCENE THIRD.

The d.u.c.h.ess and Vautrin.

Vautrin (aside) If Mexico saw herself represented in this way, the government would be capable of condemning me to emba.s.sades for life. (Aloud) Pray excuse me, madame. I have so many things to think about.

The d.u.c.h.ess If absent-mindedness may be excused in any one, it is in a diplomat.

Vautrin Yes, to civil diplomats, but I mean to remain a frank soldier. The success which I derive must be the result of candor. But now that we are alone, let us talk, for I have more than one delicate mission to discharge.

The d.u.c.h.ess Have you any news which my daughter should not hear?

Vautrin It may be so. Let me come to the point; the senorita is young and beautiful, she is rich and n.o.ble born; she probably has four times as many suitors as any other lady. Her hand is the object of rivalry.

Well, her father has charged me to find whether she has singled out any one in particular.

The d.u.c.h.ess With a frank man, general, I will be frank. Your question is so strange that I cannot answer it.

Vautrin Take care, for we diplomats, in our fear of being deceived, always put the worst interpretation on silence.

The d.u.c.h.ess Sir, you forget that we are talking of Inez de Christoval!

Vautrin She is in love with no one. That is good; she will be able then to carry out the wishes of her father.

The d.u.c.h.ess How has Monsieur de Christoval disposed of his daughter's hand?

Vautrin You see my meaning, and your anxiety tells me that she has made her choice. I tremble to ask further, as much as you do to answer. Ah! if only the young man whom your daughter loves were a foreigner, rich, apparently without family, and bent on concealing the name of his native land!

The d.u.c.h.ess The name, Frescas, which you lately uttered, is that of a young man who seeks the hand of Inez.

Vautrin Does he call himself also Raoul?

The d.u.c.h.ess Yes, Raoul de Frescas.

Vautrin A young man of refinement, elegance and wit, and twenty-three years of age?

The d.u.c.h.ess Gifted with manners which are never acquired, but innate.

Vautrin Romantic to the point of desiring to be loved for his own sake, in spite of his immense fortune; he wishes that pa.s.sion should prevail in marriage--an absurdity! The young Amoagos, for it is he, madame.

The d.u.c.h.ess But the name of Raoul is not--

Vautrin Mexican--you are right. It was given to him by his mother, a Frenchwoman, an _emigree_, a De Granville, who came from St. Domingo.

Is the reckless fellow favored by her?

The d.u.c.h.ess Preferred to all the rest.

Vautrin Well, open this letter, and read it, madame; and you will see that I have received full authority from Amoagos and Christoval to conclude this marriage.

The d.u.c.h.ess Oh, let me call in Inez, sir. (Exit.)

SCENE FOURTH.

Vautrin (alone) The major-domo is on my side, the genuine deeds, if he comes upon them, will be handed to me. Raoul is too proud to return to this house; besides that, he has promised me to wait. I am thus master of the situation; Raoul, when once he is a prince, will not lack ancestors; Mexico and I will see to that.

SCENE FIFTH.

Vautrin, the d.u.c.h.esse de Christoval and Inez.

The d.u.c.h.ess (to her daughter) My child, you have reason to thank the general very warmly.

Inez To thank you, sir? My father tells me, that among other missions you have received is that of marrying me to a certain Signor Amoagos, without any regard to my inclinations.

Vautrin You need not be alarmed, for his name here is Raoul de Frescas.

Inez What! He, Raoul de Frescas!--why then his persistent silence?

Vautrin Does it need an old soldier to interpret the heart of a young man? He wished for love, not obedience; he wished--

Inez Ah, general, I will punish him well for his modesty and distrust.

Yesterday, he showed himself readier to swallow an affront than to reveal the name of his father.

Vautrin But, mademoiselle, I am still uncertain as to whether the name of his father is that of a man convicted of high treason, or of a liberator of America.

Inez Ah! mother, do you hear that?