"Oh! I suspected that you wouldn't believe me; but I have my proofs."
And Ballangier, feeling in his pocket, triumphantly produced a letter, which he handed to me. It came from Besançon, it was signed Morillot, and it did, in fact, contain what he had said. I had already given him money; but if I could finally rid myself of him and of the fear of meeting him in Paris—— That hope put an end to my hesitation.
I opened my secretary, took out four hundred francs in gold, and placed the money in Ballangier's hand.
"Take it," I said; "and may you at last make a good use of what I give you!"
Ballangier turned purple with pleasure when he held the gold pieces in his hand; he made as if he would throw himself on my neck; but I stepped back and he checked himself, crying:
"That is true, I am not worthy; but I will wait till another time. I propose to become a model of virtue. Sacrebleu! I propose that you shall be satisfied with me at last! I will make it a point of honor! Au revoir, Charlot!—no, I mean adieu! you prefer that, and you're quite right."
He said no more, but walked quickly from the room. And I breathed more freely when he was no longer there.
XVI
MADAME LANDERNOY
I felt the need of some distraction to enable me to forget the visit I had just received.
"Ah!" I thought; "I will go and hunt up the poor girl from Sceaux."