The day which had inflicted on Isaura so keen an anguish was marked by a
great trial in the life of Alain de Rochebriant.
In the morning he received the notice "of _un commandement tendant a
saisie immobiliere,_" on the part of his creditor, M. Louvier; in plain
English, an announcement that his property at Rochebriant would be put up
to public sale on a certain day, in case all debts due to the mortgagee
were not paid before. An hour afterwards came a note from Duplessis
stating that "he had returned from Bretagne on the previous evening, and
would be very happy to see the Marquis de Rochebriant before two o'clock,
if not inconvenient to call."
Alain put the "commandement" into his pocket, and repaired to the Hotel
Duplessis.
The financier received him with very cordial civility. Then he began:
"I am happy to say I left your excellent aunt in very good health. She
honoured the letter of introduction to her which I owe to your politeness
with the most amiable hospitalities; she insisted on my removing from the
_auberge_ at which I first put up and becoming a guest under your
venerable roof-tree--a most agreeable lady, and a most interesting
_chateau_."
"I fear your accommodation was in striking contrast to your comforts at
Paris; my _chateau_ is only interesting to an antiquarian enamoured of
ruins."
"Pardon me, 'ruins' is an exaggerated expression. I do not say that the
_chateau_ does not want some repairs, but they would not be costly; the
outer walls are strong enough to defy time for centuries to come, and a
few internal decorations and some modern additions of furniture would
make the old manoir a home fit for a prince. I have been over the whole
estate, too, with the worthy M. Hebert,--a superb property."
"Which M. Louvier appears to appreciate," said Alain, with a somewhat
melancholy smile, extending to Duplessis the menacing notice.
Duplessis glanced at it, and said drily: "M. Louvier knows what he is
about. But I think we had better put an immediate stop to formalities
which must be painful to a creditor so benevolent. I do not presume to
offer to pay the interest due on the security you can give for the
repayment. If you refused that offer from so old a friend as Lemercier,
of course you could not accept it from me. I make another proposal, to
which you can scarcely object. I do not like to give my scheming rival
on the Bourse the triumph of so profoundly planned a speculation. Aid me
to defeat him. Let me take the mortgage on myself, and become sole
mortgagee--hush!--on this condition,--that there should be an entire
union of interests between us two; that I should be at liberty to make
the improvements I desire, and when the improvements be made, there
should be a fair arrangement as to the proportion of profits due to me as
mortgagee and improver, to you as original owner. Attend, my dear
Marquis,--I am speaking as a mere man of business. I see my way to
adding more than a third, I might even say a half--to the present
revenues of Rochbriant. The woods have been sadly neglected, drainage
alone would add greatly to their produce. Your orchards might be
rendered magnificent supplies to Paris with better cultivation. Lastly,
I would devote to building purposes or to market gardens all the lands
round the two towns of ------ and ---------. I think I can lay my hands
on suitable speculators for these last experiments. In a word, though
the market value of Rochebriant, as it now stands, would not be
equivalent to the debt on it, in five or six years it could be made
worth--well, I will not say how much--but we shall be both well satisfied
with the result. Meanwhile, if you allow me to find purchasers for your
timber, and if you will not suffer the Chevalier de Finisterre to
regulate your expenses, you need have no fear that the interest due to me
will not be regularly paid, even though I shall be compelled, for the
first year or two at least, to ask a higher rate of interest than Louvier
exacted--say a quarter per cent. more; and in suggesting that, you will
comprehend that this is now a matter of business between us, and not of
friendship."
Alain turned his head aside to conceal his emotion, and then, with the
quick affectionate impulse of the genuine French nature, threw himself on
the financier's breast and kissed him on both cheeks.
"You save me! you save the home and the tombs of my ancestors! Thank you
I cannot; but I believe in God--I pray--I will pray for you as for a
father; and if ever," he hurried on in broken words, "I am mean enough to
squander on idle luxuries one franc that I should save for the debt due
to you, chide me as a father would chide a graceless son."
Moved as Alain was, Duplessis was moved yet more deeply. "What father
would not be proud of such a son? Ah, if I had such a one!" he said
softly. Then, quickly recovering his wonted composure, he added, with
the sardonic smile which often chilled his friends and alarmed his foes,
"Monsieur Louvier is about to pass that which I ventured to promise him,
_a 'mauvais quart-d'heure.' Lend me that _commandement tendant a
saisie_. I must be off to my _avoue_ with instructions. If you have no
better engagement, pray dine with me to-day and accompany Valerie and
myself to the opera."
I need not say that Alain accepted the invitation. How happy Valerie was
that evening!