Fortunat, in a tone of authority, asked: "Madame Lia
d'Argeles?"
"Madame does not receive on Friday," was the reply.
With a petulant gesture, M. Fortunat rejoined: "All the same I
must speak with her to-day. It is on a matter of the greatest
importance. Give her my card." So saying, he held out a bit of
pasteboard, on which, below his name, were inscribed the words:
"Liquidations. Settlements effected for insolvent parties."
"Ah! that's a different thing," said the servant. "Will monsieur
take the trouble to follow me?"
M. Fortunat did take the trouble; and he was conducted into a
large drawing-room where he was requested to sit down and await
madame's coming. Left to himself, he began an inventory of the
apartment, as a general studies the ground on which he is about to
give battle. No trace remained of the unfortunate scene of the
previous night, save a broken candelabrum on the chimney-piece.
It was the one which Pascal Ferailleur had armed himself with,
when they talked of searching him, and which he had thrown down in
the courtyard, as he left the house. But this detail did not
attract M. Fortunat's attention. The only thing that puzzled him
was the large reflector placed above the chandelier, and it took
him some time to fathom with what object it was placed there.
Without precisely intimidating him, the luxurious appointments of
the house aroused his astonishment. "Everything here is in
princely style," he muttered, "and this shows that all the
lunatics are not at Charenton yet.
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