I knew enough Italian to make out the letter, but it surprised me so greatly that my head swam, and, without thinking of what I was doing, I opened the little note which was enclosed and addressed to M. de Rothschild. It was in French and ran:
“Monsieur le Baron,—Would you be so good as to hand over the 20,000 francs that I deposited yesterday to M. Berlioz.
Paganini.”
Then I understood.
My wife, coming in, thought that some new trouble had fallen upon us.
“What is it now?” she cried. “Be brave! we have borne so much already.”
“No, no—not that——”
“What then?”
“Paganini—has sent me—20,000 francs!”
“Louis! Louis!” cried Henriette, rushing for her boy, “come here to your mother and thank God.”