The footman Monsieur Joseph, some one is asking for you.

Joseph At this hour?

Saint-Charles It is I.

Joseph (to the footman) You may go.

Saint-Charles His grace the duke cannot come home until after the king's retirement for the night. The d.u.c.h.ess is on her way home. I wish to speak to her privately and wait for her here.

Joseph Here?

Saint-Charles Here.

Joseph (aside) O my G.o.d! And Jacques--

Saint-Charles If it inconveniences you--

Joseph Not in the least.

Saint-Charles Tell me the truth, you are expecting some one?

Joseph I am expecting the d.u.c.h.ess.

Saint-Charles And not Jacques Collin?

Joseph Oh! don't talk to me about that man, you make me shudder.

Saint-Charles Collin is mixed up with some business that might bring him here. You must have seen him lately. I have no time to pump you, and I have no need to bribe, but you must choose between him and me, and pretty quickly, too.

Joseph What do you require of me?

Saint-Charles To tell me everything that takes place here.

Joseph Well, the latest thing is the duel of the marquis; he fights to-morrow with Monsieur de Frescas.

Saint-Charles What next?

Joseph I see her grace the d.u.c.h.ess has just returned.

SCENE SEVENTH.

Saint-Charles (alone) What a timid beast he is! This duel is a capital excuse for speaking with the d.u.c.h.ess. The duke did not understand me, he saw in me nothing but a tool, to be taken up and dropped at pleasure. Did he not, by imposing silence upon me towards his wife, betray his suspicion that I was dangerous to him? The patrimony of the strong is the faculty of utilizing the faults of a neighbor. I have already devoured several patrimonies, and my appet.i.te is still good.

SCENE EIGHTH.

Saint-Charles, the d.u.c.h.esse de Montsorel and Mademoiselle de Vaudrey.

(Saint-Charles disappears till the two ladies have pa.s.sed, and remains at the back, while they come to the front of the stage.)

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey You are quite worn out.

The d.u.c.h.esse de Montsorel (sinking into an armchair) Yes; I am dead! In despair--

Saint-Charles (coming forward) Madame the d.u.c.h.ess.

The d.u.c.h.ess Ah! I had forgotten! Sir, it is impossible at this moment to grant you the interview you ask. To-morrow--or later in the day.

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey (to Saint-Charles) My niece, sir, is not in a condition to listen to you.

Saint-Charles To-morrow, ladies, it will be too late! The life of your son, the Marquis de Montsorel, who fights a duel to-morrow with Monsieur de Frescas, is threatened.

The d.u.c.h.ess The duel is indeed a frightful thing.

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey (in a low tone to the d.u.c.h.ess) You have already forgotten that Raoul is a stranger to you.

The d.u.c.h.ess (to Saint-Charles) Sir, my son will know how to acquit himself.

Saint-Charles May I venture to inform you of facts which ordinarily would be kept from a mother? Your son will be killed without any fighting. His adversary's servants are bravoes, wretches of whom he is the ringleader.

The d.u.c.h.ess And what proof have you of this?

Saint-Charles A former steward of Monsieur de Frescas has offered me a vast sum if I would join in this foul conspiracy against the Christoval family. In order to make time, I pretended to a.s.sent; but just as I was on my way to warn the authorities, I was dashed to the ground by two men who came by at full speed, and I lost consciousness; they administered to me in this condition a powerful narcotic, thrust me into a cab, and when I came to myself, I was in a den of criminals. Recovering my self-possession, I escaped from my confinement, and set out to track these dare-devils.

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey You sometimes come here to see Monsieur de Montsorel, according to what Joseph tells us?

Saint-Charles Yes, madame.

The d.u.c.h.ess And who, pray, may you be, sir?

Saint-Charles I am a private detective, whom his grace the duke distrusts, and I am hired for clearing up mysterious occurrences.

Mademoiselle de Vaudrey (to the d.u.c.h.ess) O Louise!

The d.u.c.h.ess (fixing her eyes on Saint-Charles) And who has had the impertinence to send you to address me?

Saint-Charles A sense of your danger brings me here. I am paid to be your enemy. You can keep silence as well as I; prove that your protection is more advantageous to me than the hollow promises of the duke, and I can a.s.sure you the victory. But time presses, the duke will soon be here, and if he finds us together, the success of our undertaking would be endangered.

The d.u.c.h.ess (to Mademoiselle de Vaudrey) Ah! we may still hope! (To Saint-Charles) And what were you going to do at the house of Monsieur de Frescas?

Saint-Charles That which, at present, I am doing at yours.

The d.u.c.h.ess Silence, sir.

Saint-Charles Your grace has given me no answer; the duke has my word, and he is very powerful.

The d.u.c.h.ess And I, sir, am immensely rich; but do not expect to take advantage of me. (She rises) I will never be the dupe of Monsieur de Montsorel, I recognize his trickery in this secret interview, which you had asked for. (With emphasis) Let me complete your information. Monsieur de Frescas is not a wretch; his servants are not a.s.sa.s.sins; he belongs to a family as rich as it is n.o.ble, and he is about to marry the Princesse d'Arjos.