SCENE TWELFTH.

The Marquis and the Duke.

The Marquis The appearance of this adventurer, father, seems to throw both you and my mother into a state of the most violent excitement; it would almost seem as if not only was the marriage of your son jeopardized, but your very existence menaced. The d.u.c.h.ess and her daughter went off in high dudgeon--

The Duke What could have brought them here in the very midst of our discussion?

The Marquis And you also are interested in this fellow Raoul?

The Duke Are not you? Your fortune, your name, your future and your marriage, all that is more to you than life, is now at stake!

The Marquis If all these things are dependent upon this young man, I will immediately demand satisfaction from him.

The Duke What! A duel? If you had the wretched luck to kill him, the success of your suite would be hopeless.

The Marquis What then is to be done?

The Duke Do like the politicians; wait!

The Marquis If you are in danger, father, do you think I can remain quiet?

The Duke Leave the burden to me; it would crush you.

The Marquis Ah! but you will speak, father, you will tell me--

The Duke Nothing! For we should both of us have too much to blush for.

SCENE THIRTEENTH.

The same persons and Vautrin.

(Vautrin is dressed all in black; at the beginning of the scene he puts on an air of compunction and humility.)

Vautrin Excuse me, your grace, for having forced my way in, but (whispering so as not to be overheard) we have both of us been victimized by an abuse of confidence--allow me to say a word or two to you alone.

The Duke (with a sign to his son to leave them) Say on, sir.

Vautrin In these days success is in the power of those alone who exert themselves to obtain office, and this form of ambition pervades all cla.s.ses. Every man in France desires to be a colonel, and it is difficult to see where the privates are to come from. As a matter of fact society is threatened by disintegration, which will simply result from this universal desire for high positions, accompanied with a general disgust for the low places. Such is the fruit of revolutionary equality. Religion is the sole remedy for this corruption.

The Duke What are you driving at?

Vautrin I beg pardon, but it is impossible to refrain from explaining to a statesman, with whom I am going to work, the cause of a mistake which annoys me. Has your grace confided any secrets to one of my people who came to you this morning, with the foolish idea of supplanting me, and in the hope of making himself known to you as one who could serve your interests?

The Duke What do you mean? That you are the Chevalier de Saint-Charles?

Vautrin Let me tell your grace, that we are just what we desire to be. Neither he nor I is simple enough to be his real self--it would cost us too much.

The Duke Remember, that you must furnish proofs.

Vautrin If your grace has confided any important secret to him, I shall have immediately to put him under surveillance.

The Duke (aside) This man seems more honest and reliable than the other.

Vautrin We put the secret police on such cases.

The Duke You ought not to have come here, sir, unless you were able to justify your a.s.sertions.

Vautrin I have done my duty. I hope that the ambition of this man, who is capable of selling himself to the highest bidder, may be of service to you.

The Duke (aside) How can he have learned so promptly the secret of my morning interview?

Vautrin (aside) He hesitates; Joseph is right, some important secret is at stake.

The Duke Sir!

Vautrin Your grace!

The Duke It is the interest of both of us to defeat this man.

Vautrin That would be dangerous, if he has your secret; for he is tricky.

The Duke Yes, the fellow has wit.

Vautrin Did you give him a commission?

The Duke Nothing of importance; I wish to find out all about a certain Monsieur de Frescas.

Vautrin (aside) Merely that! (Aloud) I can tell your grace all about him. Raoul de Frescas is a young n.o.bleman whose family is mixed up in an affair of high treason, and he does not like to a.s.sume his father's name.

The Duke He has a father, then?

Vautrin He has a father.

The Duke And where does he come from? What is his fortune?

Vautrin We are changing our roles, and your grace must excuse my not answering until you tell me what special interest your grace has in Monsieur de Frescas.

The Duke You are forgetting yourself, sir!

Vautrin (with a.s.sumed humility) Yes, I am forgetting the fact that there is an enormous difference between spies and those who set them.

The Duke Joseph!

Vautrin (aside) The duke has set his spies upon us; I must hurry.

(Vautrin disappears through the side door, by which he entered in the first act.)

The Duke (turning back) You shall not leave the house. Heavens! Where is he? (He rings and Joseph answers.) Let all the doors of the house be locked, a man has got into the house. Quick! Let all look for him, and let him be apprehended. (He goes to the room of the d.u.c.h.ess.)

Joseph (looking through the postern) He is far away by this time.