“Then,” said la Peyrade, “it must really have been another match; for that woman, after many singular preliminaries, too long to explain to you, made me a formal offer of the hand of a young woman much richer than Mademoiselle Colleville—”
“And hysterical?” asked Cerizet.
“No, she did not embellish the proposal with that accessory; but there’s another detail which may put you on the track of her. Madame de Godollo exhorted me, if I wished to push the matter, to go and see a certain Monsieur du Portail—”
“Rue Honore-Chevalier?” exclaimed Cerizet, quickly.
“Precisely.”
“Then it is the same marriage which is offered to you through two different mediums. It is strange I was not informed of this collaboration!”
“In short,” said la Peyrade, “you not only didn’t have wind of the countess’s intervention, but you don’t know her, and you can’t give me any information about her—is that so?”
“At present I can’t,” replied Cerizet, “but I’ll find out about her; for the whole proceeding is rather cavalier towards me; but this employment of two agents only shows you how desirable you are to the family.”
At this moment the door of the room was opened cautiously, a woman’s head appeared, and a voice, which was instantly recognized by la Peyrade, said, addressing the copying-clerk:—
“Ah! excuse me! I see monsieur is busy. Could I say a word to monsieur when he is alone?”