The Clique of Gold

n, she felt the blood turn to ice in her veins. She knew perfectly well that a man like Daniel was n

ow the wom

ossession, was already thinking how h

to you,"

r! I see you kn

othing ab

ut

rd people talk of her

ho

Maxime de Brevan, a

of a woma

that one of these days I should-If I seemed to be so very much surprised just now, it was because I

und that he was talking nonsense, he turned his head away to avo

I am not strong enoug

position in which he found himself, he looked for

ore. I know nothing positive; and I dare say I am unnecessaril

will t

an at home, as I hope I shall do; if I

l founded; if what you fear, and hide from

itation, he rose and s

know that, don't you? But, in spite of all that, if my fears should be well founded, as I apprehend they are, I should not hesitate to say to you, whatever might be the consequences, Henri

ed to be loved,-this man whom her heart had freely chosen among them all,-this man who gave her such an overwhelmin

whatever may happen, and whatever force they may choos

me time pressed to his lips. At last, when his

once, Henrietta, if I

ze. His life and his happiness were at stake; and a singl

ailed it, jumped in, an

shall have five francs

se where Maxime

h the men who make up what is called high life, and with whom pleasure is the only occupation, he was very popular with them all. They said he was a man that could alway

s us to keep our life from the eye of the public, Maxime de Brevan seemed to take pains to let everybody into his secrets. He was so anxio

frankly that there was very little left of their ancient splendor; in fact, nothing but a bare support. But he never said what this "support" amounted to; his most intimate friends could not tell whether he had one thousand or ten thou

ng; and he kept but a single servant

ommon friend of theirs, a lieutenant in the navy. About one o'clock in the morning they had gone home together; and as the moon was shini

been irresistibly attracted by the peculiar ways of Maxime, and especially by the cool stoicism

Daniel entered his room. He uttered a cry

er side of the river in this worldly region, and

ng Daniel's terrified

You look frightened out of y

tune, I fear,"

? What

nt you to

w that I am at

rtainly t

not wish to give you too much trouble. I have a lo

d him, shaking his he

something better to do, upon my wo

e was going to tell him. Now, when the moment came to speak, he was silent. The thought had just occurred to him, that Count Ville-Handry's secret

excuse, and suffering perfect agony. This continued so long, that Maxime, who had of late h

stopped before him, and sa

ver, under any circumstances, say to any huma

ed, Brevan raised

my word

and, when he thought he had recovered s

d you telling somebody a horrible story

you please

s not matter.

Everybody

xtreme self-conceit with wh

our friendship, tell me frankly what you think of

rayed such extreme excitement, that Bre

low, you ask me t

I tell you. It is of the

en thought, touched his

ou are in lov

avoid mentioning the name of Count Ville-Handry; but, seeing it

se it is so," he

o heaven, and said in a t

ought to inquire; for you may be

really so

e were impatient at being called upon

uld th

his questions after that. Those words ought to have been e

ou know, that, as I lead a ver

he had ever done, rose and replied

ange your mind. Suppose I were to tell you that this Sarah is a wretched creature, an infamous forger, who has already the death of three poor devils on her conscience, who loved her as you do? Suppose I told you worse things than these, an

el

l her all I said, and beseech her to

n; I am not one o

and more excited. He inter

That is so, I tell you; and no will, no amount of energy, can do any thing with it. There are people who tell you soberly that they have been in love without losing their senses, and reproach you for not

y of reasoning, and of distinguishing truth from falsehood? Did he really not love Henr

ose passions which suddenly strike us down like lightning; which confound our senses, and mislead our judgme

that Count Ville-Handry was overcome by one of these terrible pas

pose I lose my free will, and surrend

him with an air o

ll happen to

almost sternness, mix

oroscope? Be it so. Ha

ty thousan

l be overwhelmed with debts, and at your wits' end; in le

xim

promoted as rapidly as merit could claim, everybody says. You will be an admiral one of these days. But in s

low

randon, you will have lost your self- respect so completely, that you will have become a drunkard. The

in another word from him, unless he changed his tactics. He held h

ption, which was suggested by your own words. It

ch surprised, he

t, then?"

f my f

t na

sk of you doubly valuable by not asking

d. It was not Daniel who had fallen in love with Sarah Brandon. Brevan did not doubt that for

e that your ingenuous peop

as pouring out his excuses, he quietly went back to the fir

hat it is one of your f

es

matter is

ks of marryin

s shoulders contem

e yourself. Sarah w

she herself has m

sed his head suddenly

riend must b

immense

name, and holds

oldest and noblest in

s a very

sixty

the mantlepiece with his fist s

d me she wou

, as if speaking to himself with an indescrib

an! Oh, wha

ith his own thoughts to observe what was going on, did not

such a marriage, my friend's family would do every thing in the world. But how

nd," said Brevan

effort. He remained for some time absorbed in his thou

way to prevent this

om what yo

ha

cupidity of

el

rge sum, some eighty or a

but there was not the t

ink she would be fool enough to content herself with a fraction of a fortune, if

axime, laying aside his usual half-dreamy, mocking manner,

those vulgar hawks, who, in broad daylight, seize upon a poor pigeon,

xime, she

you misapprehend h

lance with which a judge examines the features of a

another. I love you too dearly to exact your promise to be discreet. If you ever mention my name in connection with this

is friend's hand, and, pressin

iel Champcey is t

it; for he

he, also, has come to Paris to spread her net, and catch her birds, But she is made of finer stuff than most of them, and more clever. Her ambition soars higher; and

erican. The fact is, she speaks English like an Englishwoman, and knows a great deal more of America than you know of Pa

broke out. He entered the army, and in less than six months, thanks to his marvellous energy, he rose to be a general. When peace came, he was without occupation, and did not know what on earth to do with himself. Fortunately, his good star led him into a region where large tracts of land happened to be

lost her when she was quite young, in a

dy taken the trouble to ascertain

ous facts leak out. For instance, I have fallen in with Americans w

ve borrowe

ine, but at the same time the slyest woman I have ever seen. She also brought with her a kind of protector, a Mr. Thomas Elgin, also a relation of hers, a most extraordinary man, stiff like a poker, but evidently a dangerous man, who never opens his mout

the Bois de Boulogne, and drew everybody's attention to their fair owner. Heaven knows how she had managed to get a number of letters of introduction. But certainly two or three of the most influential members of the American colony here received

means the least clever-tell you that she is an angel, only wanting wings to fly away from this wicked world. They talk of

she so

at least twenty tho

quires where t

roleum-wells, my dear fellow.

h Brandon's position in the world had been established. Had he any expectation to prevent a struggle with her by exaggerating her strength? Or rather, kno

that icy tone which gives to sa

ntroduced there,-you will be dumfounded at first by the tone that prevails in that house. The air is filled with a perfume of hypo

dently to be utt

hat," he said, "with the thorough

and cuts down her dress-bodies atrociously. She says she has a right to do as she pleases, according to the code of laws which govern American young ladies. But at home she bows to the taste and the wishes of her relative, Mrs. B

hat he was utte

n, of getting hold of

hink

e of which you spo

t with poor

that is all I remember. What did I, at that

k his head,

hands? No, Daniel. Still it is not a very long one; and I

tell positively,-I mean with sufficient evidence to carry conviction to others,-for the young man was a model of discretion. But what became only too well known was the fact, that, about eight months later, the people living near Miss Brandon's house saw one morning, when the shutters were opened, a corpse dangling at a distance of a few feet above the ground from th

wh

e family took it up. An inquest was held; and it was found that the hundred t

on's reputation

with a bitter,

k,' they said, 'Kergrist would not have hanged himself. Besides,' they added, 'how can a girl, be she ever so pure and innocent, prevent her lovers from hanging themselves at

s content with su

ident, he had come to the house at the usual hour, and, finding it closed, had begged, and even wept, and finally threatened to kill himself; that, thereupon, he had really killed himself; (poor fool that he was!) that Miss Brandon, concealed behind the blinds, had watched all his

spered Daniel,-

nd pressing it so as almost to hurt

still quivering corpse to assure herself that there was nothing in the pockets that could possibly compromise her. Finding the last letter of Kergrist, she took it away with her, broke the seal, and read it; and, having found that her name

ad becom

s a monster!"

ere quivering with indignation. He no longer thought of discretion,

e is another crime on record, of older date. The first appearanc

the following day, the board of directors would examine his books. The cashier, an unfortunate man by the name of Malgat, replied th

care; and, in order to screen my defalcations, I have forged several notes. I cannot conceal my crime any longer. The first defalcation is only six mont

o throw himself into the canal. But when he reached the bank, and saw the foul, black water, he was frightened

return to his bank; for there, by this time, his crime must have become known. In his despair he ra

hem all, begging them to give him a couple of hundreds only of the four hundred thousand which he h

g on his knees before Miss Sarah, Sir Thorn seized h

for a considerable time, his eyes fixed, his brow darkened, repenting himself, no doubt,

will enabled him to assume his usual phlegmati

ieved all over Paris, and set off by a number of hideous details which I will spare you. If you care to look at the papers of that year, yo

dly. He felt a kind of painful emotion, such a

What I cannot comprehend is, how this woman could refuse the man whose accomplice she had

d M. de Brevan; and then he added em

empt to become more cautious a

nd to drive him to desperate measures? In his furious rage, he might have left the house, rushed to a police-

d at that time. But I tell you, that her peculiarity is exactly the daring with which she ventures upon the most dangerous steps.

ut

her own complicity, and feeling quite safe in that direction. Moreover, she had studied Malgat's character, as she studied afterwards Kergrist's. She was quite sure that

w s

t, that 'the fair stranger was no stranger to small peculations.' Public opinion was veering around, when it was reported that she had been

O

e whole matter was brought up in court,

ted up, and

ndergo the agonies of a trial, and the infamy of a

lgat was sentenced in contumaciam

become of th

, a half decomposed body was found in the forest of Sain

ued in an almost inaudible voice, as if to meet

The man said he recognized him, although he seemed to be most artistically disguised. This is what has set me thinking more than once, that, i

f to drive away such uncomfortable thou

t you see before you one of her victims; for my dear Daniel, I have to confess it, I also have been in love with her; and how! But I was too small a personage, and too poor a devil, to be worth a serious thought of Miss Brandon. As soon as she felt sure that her abominable tricks had set my head on fire, and that I had become an id

ad he not himself, and quite voluntarily, confessed his own folly, his own lo

ally, such a friend, who had lived long enough amid all these intrigues of Parisian high life to know all

e are bound to eac

as if to wipe a tear from his eyes. But he was no

his marrying Miss Sarah? Does any way occur t

is words slowly and emphatically, as if to lend them their full

If we could once know who she really is, all would be safe. Fortunately th

n, he started and stopped. He jumped up as if sudde

, you do not know Miss Brandon

ind

enemies; how else can we even smile a

int her out to m

t, at the opera. I be

, having called upon Henriett

he said, "I

two orchestra-chairs. The stage was gorgeous; but what did they care for the singer on the boards, or the divine music of Mozart? Brevan took his opera-glasses out

ird box from the stage