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"About your own height, sir." `
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"Dark or fair?" `
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"Dark, -- very dark; with black eyes, black hair, black `
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eyebrows." `
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"And how dressed?" asked Villefort quickly. `
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"In a blue frock-coat, buttoned up close, decorated with the `
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Legion of Honor." `
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"It is he!" said Villefort, turning pale. `
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"Eh, pardieu," said the individual whose description we have `
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twice given, entering the door, "what a great deal of `
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ceremony! Is it the custom in Marseilles for sons to keep `
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their fathers waiting in their anterooms?" `
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"Father!" cried Villefort, "then I was not deceived; I felt `
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sure it must be you." `
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"Well, then, if you felt so sure," replied the new-comer, `
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putting his cane in a corner and his hat on a chair, "allow `
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me to say, my dear Gerard, that it was not very filial of `
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you to keep me waiting at the door." `
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"Leave us, Germain," said Villefort. The servant quitted the `
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apartment with evident signs of astonishment. `
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Chapter 12 `
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Father and Son. `
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M. Noirtier -- for it was, indeed, he who entered -- looked `
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after the servant until the door was closed, and then, `
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fearing, no doubt, that he might be overheard in the `
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ante-chamber, he opened the door again, nor was the `
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precaution useless, as appeared from the rapid retreat of `
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Germain, who proved that he was not exempt from the sin `
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which ruined our first parents. M. Noirtier then took the `
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trouble to close and bolt the ante-chamber door, then that `
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of the bed-chamber, and then extended his hand to Villefort, `
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who had followed all his motions with surprise which he `
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could not conceal. `
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"Well, now, my dear Gerard," said he to the young man, with `
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a very significant look, "do you know, you seem as if you `
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were not very glad to see me?" `
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"My dear father," said Villefort, "I am, on the contrary, `
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delighted; but I so little expected your visit, that it has `
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somewhat overcome me." `
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"But, my dear fellow," replied M. Noirtier, seating himself, `
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"I might say the same thing to you, when you announce to me `
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your wedding for the 28th of February, and on the 3rd of `
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March you turn up here in Paris." `
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"And if I have come, my dear father," said Gerard, drawing `
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closer to M. Noirtier, "do not complain, for it is for you `
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that I came, and my journey will be your salvation." `
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"Ah, indeed!" said M. Noirtier, stretching himself out at `
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his ease in the chair. "Really, pray tell me all about it, `
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for it must be interesting." `
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"Father, you have heard speak of a certain Bonapartist club `
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in the Rue Saint-Jacques?" `
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"No. 53; yes, I am vice-president." `
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"Father, your coolness makes me shudder." `
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"Why, my dear boy, when a man has been proscribed by the `
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mountaineers, has escaped from Paris in a hay-cart, been `
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hunted over the plains of Bordeaux by Robespierre's `
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bloodhounds, he becomes accustomed to most things. But go `
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on, what about the club in the Rue Saint-Jacques?" `
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`
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"Why, they induced General Quesnel to go there, and General `
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Quesnel, who quitted his own house at nine o'clock in the `
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evening, was found the next day in the Seine." `
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"And who told you this fine story?" `
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`
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"The king himself." `
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"Well, then, in return for your story," continued Noirtier, `
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"I will tell you another." `
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"My dear father, I think I already know what you are about `
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to tell me." `
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"Ah, you have heard of the landing of the emperor?" `
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"Not so loud, father, I entreat of you -- for your own sake `
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as well as mine. Yes, I heard this news, and knew it even `
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before you could; for three days ago I posted from `
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Marseilles to Paris with all possible speed, half-desperate `
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at the enforced delay." `
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"Three days ago? You are crazy. Why, three days ago the `
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emperor had not landed." `
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"No matter, I was aware of his intention." `
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"How did you know about it?" `
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"By a letter addressed to you from the Island of Elba." `
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"To me?" `
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"To you; and which I discovered in the pocket-book of the `
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messenger. Had that letter fallen into the hands of another, `
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you, my dear father, would probably ere this have been `
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shot." Villefort's father laughed. `
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"Come, come," said he, "will the Restoration adopt imperial `
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methods so promptly? Shot, my dear boy? What an idea! Where `
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is the letter you speak of? I know you too well to suppose `
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you would allow such a thing to pass you." `
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"I burnt it, for fear that even a fragment should remain; `
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for that letter must have led to your condemnation." `
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"And the destruction of your future prospects," replied `
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Noirtier; "yes, I can easily comprehend that. But I have `
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nothing to fear while I have you to protect me." `
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"I do better than that, sir -- I save you." `
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"You do? Why, really, the thing becomes more and more `
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dramatic -- explain yourself." `
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"I must refer again to the club in the Rue Saint-Jacques." `
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`
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"It appears that this club is rather a bore to the police. `
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Why didn't they search more vigilantly? they would have `
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found" -- `
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"They have not found; but they are on the track." `
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"Yes, that the usual phrase; I am quite familiar with it. `
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When the police is at fault, it declares that it is on the `
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track; and the government patiently awaits the day when it `
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comes to say, with a sneaking air, that the track is lost." `
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`
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"Yes, but they have found a corpse; the general has been `
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killed, and in all countries they call that a murder." `
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`
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"A murder do you call it? why, there is nothing to prove `
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that the general was murdered. People are found every day in `
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the Seine, having thrown themselves in, or having been `
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drowned from not knowing how to swim." `
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`
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"Father, you know very well that the general was not a man `
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to drown himself in despair, and people do not bathe in the `
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Seine in the month of January. No, no, do not be deceived; `
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this was murder in every sense of the word." `
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`
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"And who thus designated it?" `
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"The king himself." `
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"The king! I thought he was philosopher enough to allow that `
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there was no murder in politics. In politics, my dear `
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fellow, you know, as well as I do, there are no men, but `
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ideas -- no feelings, but interests; in politics we do not `
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kill a man, we only remove an obstacle, that is all. Would `
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you like to know how matters have progressed? Well, I will `
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tell you. It was thought reliance might be placed in General `
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Quesnel; he was recommended to us from the Island of Elba; `
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one of us went to him, and invited him to the Rue `
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Saint-Jacques, where he would find some friends. He came `
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there, and the plan was unfolded to him for leaving Elba, `
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the projected landing, etc. When he had heard and `
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comprehended all to the fullest extent, he replied that he `
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was a royalist. Then all looked at each other, -- he was `
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made to take an oath, and did so, but with such an ill grace `
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that it was really tempting Providence to swear him, and `
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yet, in spite of that, the general was allowed to depart `
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free -- perfectly free. Yet he did not return home. What `
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could that mean? why, my dear fellow, that on leaving us he `
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lost his way, that's all. A murder? really, Villefort, you `
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surprise me. You, a deputy procureur, to found an accusation `
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on such bad premises! Did I ever say to you, when you were `
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fulfilling your character as a royalist, and cut off the `
`
head of one of my party, `My son, you have committed a `
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murder?' No, I said, `Very well, sir, you have gained the `
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victory; to-morrow, perchance, it will be our turn.'" `
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`
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"But, father, take care; when our turn comes, our revenge `
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will be sweeping." `
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"I do not understand you." `
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"You rely on the usurper's return?" `
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"We do." `
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