The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-17 00:00:00

/WI
SATURDAY. 1\14.Y 17, 1884

[ALL RISIVES RESERVED.)

A CRIME IN AN OMNIBUS.

A STORY OF PARISIAN LIFE.

BY FORTUNE DU BOISGOBEY
Translated from the French.

•
'CHAPTER XX.
THE Rue de la Sourdiere is one of the few which the
changes made in the old parts of Paris have not
reached. It looks to-day just as it did a hundred
years ago, although all around is altered.
The noises of;the Rtn-Neuve des-petits-Champs,
and the Rue Saint Honore are heard to the north
ani the south; tie market Saint Honor 6 teems with
Life and traffic westwards, but the Rue de la Sour-
diere remains untroubled, like an old grandmother
peacefully asleep in the quiet chimney corner. It
leads nowhere. People come there upon business
only. It is a good street—an honest street. No
doubtful characters inhabit it, and the damsels who
frequent the drives round the lake in the Bois de
Boulogne are unaware of its very existence. It is
tts an Englishman would say, eminently reTectable.
b- Not that it is peopled with millionaires, but the
good folks who live there are mostly well-to-do and
easy-going. On summer evenings one may see
shuttlecock being played across the road from one
Pavement to the other. The people bring their
chairs out to sit chatting. Grass grows unmolested
between the paving stones, and now and then a few
hens may be noticed quietly pecking. The sound of
carriage brings all the inhabitants to their win-
dows.

In fact it is the country in the midst of town.
The houses cut a handsome figure with their
high gateways and their wide and echoing stone
staircases. They seem to have been built for
ancient magnates, magistrates, retired canons, or at
the very least, sages disgusted by the turmoil of
the world.
Here for the last three years Auguste Blanche.
lame had fixed his abode, and he was not the least
respected denizen of this well-reputed neighbour.
hood.
On the right hand of a door on the first fIL
an important block figured a large brass pi,
bearing his name, followed by the qualification,
Private agent.
On the left hand of an opposite door, there shone
brilliant inscription, of which every one might
not be able to gather the meaning—namely, Stella,
Pupil of Malemoiselle Lenormanl.—Consultations
from twelve to five.
Consultations upon what F Some persons might
have guessed, but others would not in the least
divine.

- There are to this day in Paris gossips to be found
who remember Mademoiselle Lcnormand, the female
Beer of the Rue de Tournon, who firmly believe that
fifteen years before the consecration of Napoleon
sho predicted that Josephine would be an empress.
Stella, pupil of this illustrious prophetess, had
many clients among chambermaids, the demimonde,
-1%114 small tradespeople; ladies who could have
visited her in grand equipages, had they not feared
to compromise the coats of arms painted on their
pwnels.

- Stella belonged to the bygone school of sibyls.
She did not deal in somnambulism. She simply pro-
phesied by means of cards, or sometimes when the
inspiration was strong upon her, without' them, and
the inspiration generally:came strongly upon her
.*hen the consultation bade fair to be remuLlra.
tie .

The two suites of rooms, those of the fortune(
teller and those of the private agent, occupied the
whole of the first floor. The entrances were per-
fectly distinct, in like manner as the clients of M.
Blanchelaine had nothing in common with the
Clients of Madame Stella. The practical, serious
peo; le rang the right-hand bell; the credulous,
'arpplied at the left.
But in their innermost depths these two " apparte-
'tents " really became one, inasmuch as there was a
means of entrance from one to the other without
going out on the staircase.
'• In both suites the position of the rooms was the
eatte—an ante-room, dining, drawing-rooms, a
study, and a bedroom ; the furniture, however, was
"very. different. With Stella all the draperies were
black, oddities were scattered about, all the furniture
'seemed to belong to the middle-ages; ecclesiastical-
'
looking chairs, ancient buffets, loaed with curiosi-
ties (picked up cheap), a book-case groaning under
dusty books of the black art, several skulls, and a fair
sprmkling of stuffed owls. The curtains were never
drawn aside, daylight never entered even at noon,
the pythoness delivered her oracles by the rays of
.sundry old iron lamps with three flames, suspended
from the ceiling.
With Blanchelaine, on the contrary, everything
was light, fresh, and modern. Mahogany and walnut
'Wood , wall papers at tenpence the piece, a side-
decked with Creil porcelain, a writing-table
with drawers, and a leathern chair before it, rows of
beok shelves ten tiers high, and busts of eminent
lawyers on the top. A negress of twelve years old
admitted visitors to Stella ; the clients of Blanche-
Were
The,

tuerx_
reception rooms of these worthies were
separated merely by a thin partition in which by
mutual consent a door had been made cleverly hidden
in the wainscot.
On the afternoon of the day that Freneuse had
taken Pia to the cemetery of Saint Ouen, M. Paulet
and Sophie Cornu encountered each other at the
foot of the staircase leading to the den of the Sibyl
and the agents' office.
Sophie Cornu had already mounted three steps
When M. Paulet entered the vestibule, and stopped
for a moment to wipe his feet upon the door-mat.
They were strangers, :so did not speak; never-
theless they observed each other closely without
appearing to do so.
The father of the beautiful Marguerite thought
Sophie's appearance exceedingly odd, for as he had
never visited Blanchelaine, he imagined' she must
be one of his clients.
'Nice sort of peoplee, he receives to be sure !"
he muttered to himself.
Sophie disliked idle younc, painters, but she
positively execrated well-to-do bourgeois.
"I wonder what that fine bird wants coming
here," she thought. "Re looks like a bailiff
Who has made a fortune by pumping poor folks
dry."
Thinking Thinking thus amiably of each other they arrived
at the first floor, where M. Paulet had the satisfac-
tion of seeing the old woman ring at one door,
While he
.perceived upon the other the name of
Ilanchelame, in bold, black letters on a brass
Plate.

•
"That is all right !" he said to himself. "I shall
tot have the ill-luck to follow after this creature.
Zhe is going in somewhere else.'
A shock-headed youth, with a pen behind his ear,
answered his summons, and admitted him without
•asking his name.
"Monsieur Blanehelaine is in; I will let him
know," said this uncombed scribe, and left M.
Paulet alone in an ante- chamber furnished with three
ane-chairs, and adorned with printed lists of the
names in their proper order of all the Government
officials of the Department of the Seine.
"Upon my word one might be at the office of
some public servant !" he exclaimed, shrugging his
shoulders. "This negotiator gives himself plenty
of airs. But that shall not hinder me from plain
Speaking. What audacity for him to demand a
hundred thousand francs. However, happily, I have
tot parted with my money."
monsieur Blanchelame will see you, sir,"
enapped the little clerk, putting his head in at the
door.

Monsieur Paulet signed-. to him with much dignity
to lead on, and walked slowly towards an open door
at the end of the passage:
t lie found the agent leaning against a wall where
Vilig an engraving of Hippocrates refusing the
"enmity of Artaxerxes. He manifested no surprise
on seeing his visitor, but received him with respect-
ful warmth of manner.
, "I did not anticipate the honour of receiving you
.rla my humble dwelling, sir," said he, bowing, "and
A am sorry you should have been at this trouble, for
I intended calling at your house to-morrow, as
aßreed, to give you the extract from the register of
the death of Bianca Astrodi."
"I will have nothing to do with your extract,"
answered M. Fault, roughly. "You have been
trying K to make a fool of me, or, rather I should
say, You have shamefully deceived me."
_4" I can accuse myself of no such conduct," said the
Other quietly. "Be good enough to explain alad to take a seat, sir," he added, wheeling forward
a chair.
liblonsietu• Pattlet hesitatel about taking it, then
eat clOwnsuddenly like a man preparing himself to
enter upon u series of reproaches.
,_" You dare to say you have not deceived me 1" he
„I;e,sgla,, "When you have kept me in ignorance on a
.""13' ImPortant point? I commissioned you to make
_epquiries about a daughter my brother had in Italy.
Xeli discovered that this girl was dead, but took
good care not to let me hear that she had a sister
living."
" rcould not let you know it since I was ignorant
Of the fact myself.''
"Then it is I who am informing you ?"l
"No I have known it some hours. But I do not
see that the existence of this sister need alarm you.
laianca Astrodi having died before, M. Bozer could
not inherit his property."
" Yes, but how is it that you, who profess to know
"or/thirty. do not know the contents of my brother's
'Will r.
``Notbotiv, I believe did so before the testator's
h" Well I do. The lawyer who has s3cec;3lrtoetdhettr
as
'
l arrived and has shown me a ooPy. 31
4eft all his property, divided into two eqlal parts,
tetween his-two natural daughttrs
—Bianca and Pia
-t.strodi. Bianca is deak but Pia still lives—there-
fore,
I am completely disirtherited."
The
agent changed coin:it:mance. He had evi-
4.ntlY not suspected that Pia was Co-heiress with
4 sister.
4,1,41 shall Console myself," continued M. Paulet ;
lu:Ilit I Intuit give you to understand that there will
am4° farther necessity for agreement between lis,
It request that you give up the paper that I signed
F4ll be no further use to you."
'it eau be no use—at present." said Blanchelaine.

......
---.

Aggfa4f-4---AL-Then allow
13.

"Do you think he will?"
"I can't say.. It seems to me he ought."

"I cannot hinder you, but I declare you will not
be paid for your trouble. I shall think no more of
the fortune; I consider it lost, and will not hear
you say another word about it."
"You will not hear me mention it again until I
am able to show you that the situation has entirely
changed. I begin by warning you :that this will
not be in a week, nor a month, nox even a year. I
must add that I shall rely upon your appreciation
of the service I shall render you to reward it
adequately."
"If so, what do you want with the paper I
signed V
"To be able to bring it forward if you—or
others—find fault with the means I employ.
That paper, sir, will be my warrant. It will
prove us to have been in accord. The nature
of the proceedings with which you have charged me
is not spEcified, as you yourself have just admitted.
It is fair to conclude, then, that whatever I do is
done with your approval."
"In other words you mean that if justice inter-
feres with your doings you will endeavour to corn-
prom. se me. I prophesy that you will not succeed.
I am too honourably esteemed for anyone to accuse
me of complicity in illegal manceuvres. Nc, more
of this, Monsieur. Will you'or not give up this
written engagement ?"
"No. Nor yet the letter you wrote me a month
ago containing instructions about Bianca Astrodi,
who was to be prevented (at all hazards) from enter-
ing France, or if she had already arrived front
staying there."

‘-‘ Very good," said M. Paulet, angrily. ,
everything—l scorn you, I defy you!"
"I quite believe you," replied Blanchelaine,
quietly; "but you do not scorn the 600,000 francs
that would find their way into your pockets, if
your brother had no second daughter; and which
you are in mortal fear of losing. See here, sir; in-
stead of quarrelling with me and imputing improper
motives you would be much wiser to trust me to
manage matters for you. I will devote my time
to the affair and will guarantee success. Some day
I shall bring you the whole fortune of M. Francis
Bozer on a silver salver, in like manner as the keys
of a conquered city are delivered up, and you will
hive had no trouble over the conquest. I shall
only then ask for what you will be pleased to
give, but now I must reqUest one piece of in-
formation."

"Keep

"Information? " repeated M. Paulet. "I have
none to give you. Get it where you can. It is no
concern of mine."

"There is something which you alone can tell
me," replied ,the agent, calmly, "and which I am
sure you will not refuse, because it can in no way
compromise you. Are not several persons already
aware that Bianca Astrodi was sister of the Pia who
earns her living by sitting to painters? '
C "You mean that all the world either knows or will
know it? Yes; it transpired yesterday in the studio
of an at tist who has hired tha airl as a mold-
-711 lk-S•awsummtis.

"The young man who was with you at the
Theatre Porte-Saint Martin ? "

_
"Yes; there is no reason why he should keep the
matter secret. One of his comrades also knows it—
a young dauber named Binos, who seemed to me a
great talker. Depend upon it, by this time the cir-
cumstance is discussed in all
.the studios of that
quarter."
"Very likely; but that matters little to me.
There is but one point upon which I wish to feel
certa,n."
"Which point ?" asked M. Paulet, brusquely.
He found himself drawn into answering all the
questions put by this man with whom he had just
desired to break.
"Does anybody besides yourself, sir, know that
M. Francis Bozer left his wealth to the two
Astrodis ?" - _ -

"The lawyer does. It was from him I learnt it.
My daughter also knows; she was present when he
told me." 1
"But the others? Those whom you named just
now —M. Freneuse ? M. Binos ?"
"D No! I was not fool enough to tel
them."
"Very naturally, and of course you will not do
so now. But the sister—Pia."
"She knows nothing either; but she will!'
"Who is to inform her? Not yourself. I sup,
pose P"
"The lawyer in all probability."
"Does he know she is in Paris ?"
"Yes, I told him I had just seen her. She hap-
pened to be at the studio, where, after searching for
me everywhere, he found me."
"The devil you did! What a pity! But still he
does not know her address?"

"Not any more than I do. Only he can aac.er-
tain it at once from M. Freneuse."

" Why ?fshe an executor ?" -
"No ; he did not even make the will, for my
brother made it without consulting anyone, and the
president of the tribunal opened it.
"Then this lawyer is not bound to look for the
legatees ?"
" No ; especially as, during my brother's lifetime,
he was employed to watch over my interests. I
have defrayed all his expenses, and I hardly think
he intends to remain long in Paris."
"Can you tell me at which hotel he is staying ?"
"75, Rue des Bouloi. I hope you will not speak
to him of your intentions—of which I neither know,
nor wish to know, anything."
"I shall take good care, as I beg you to believe,
although there is nothing inadmissible in my plans.
I only wish to make sure that before leaving he does
not trouble himself about Pia Astrodi, and I can do
without coming into contact with Monsieur. May
I ask you his name?"
," Monsieur Drugeon," replied M. Paulet, drawn
into communications in spite of himself.
The quiet air of Blanchelaine fascinated him; his
assurances of fair dealing calmed him; and also
whatever he might choose to say to the contrary, he
could not entirely forego the hope of inheriting his
brother's fortune. _ _

For the sake of appearances he would not move
in the matter; but on reflection he thought it might
be a mistalle to sever himself from a man who
appeared fully determined to put him in possession
of the inheritance.

"Thank you, sir," said the agent; "I promise you
will not regret having placed me in a pcsition to
bring the matter to a successful issue."
Monsieur Paulet did not notice this declaration; he
merely observed: "Remember that in this affair
we are no longer acting in concert." And he rose
from his chair with dignity.
Banehelaine bowed low, and escorted him to the
door in silence.