Her step was so light as she descended that a listener would never have supposed her lame.
“When monsieur carried madame upstairs,” said the old valet, whom she met on the staircase, “he tore this bit out of her dress, and he broke the jaw of that griffin; I’m sure I don’t know who can put it on again. There’s our staircase ruined—and it used to be so handsome!”
“Never mind, my poor Mulquinier; don’t have it mended at all—it is not a misfortune,” said his mistress.
“What can have happened?” thought Lemulquinier; “why isn’t it a misfortune, I should like to know? has the master found the Absolute?”
“Good-evening, Monsieur Pierquin,” said Madame Claes, opening the parlor door.
The notary rushed forward to give her his arm; as she never took any but that of her husband she thanked him with a smile and said,—
“Have you come for the thirty thousand francs?”
“Yes, madame; when I reached home I found a letter of advice from Messieurs Protez and Chiffreville, who have drawn six letters of exchange upon Monsieur Claes for five thousand francs each.”
“Well, say nothing to Balthazar to-day,” she replied. “Stay and dine with us. If he happens to ask why you came, find some plausible pretext, I entreat you. Give me the letter. I will speak to him myself about it. All is well,” she added, noticing the lawyer’s surprise. “In a few months my husband will probably pay off all the sums he has borrowed.”
Hearing these words, which were said in a low voice, the notary looked at Mademoiselle Claes, who was entering the room from the garden followed by Gabriel and Felicie, and remarked,—