The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-22 00:00:00

Translated from the French.

CHAPTER XII.

PIEDOUCHE had given Binos a rendezvous opposite
the Maine of 3lontmartre. Ho ran up to him,
flourishing his arms as a sign of good news. He
almost threw up his hat into the air for joy.
"Well," said Piedouche, who remained calm.
"Well," replied Binos, "I have found what we
sought. Your conclusions were quite correct, and
I proclaim you a great and gifted man. The girl
has lodged there ever since coming to Paris—that is
to say, just a month. And the old hag who keeps
the house is putting on her shawl to go and identify
her at the Morgue. She has told me her name."
"Then she has some papers?"
"Yes, but her papers, clothes, and all are in her
Lox. Everything will be given over to the police,
Of course."

"Quite right! But-- Did you tell her your
notions about this death in the omnibus? Does she
know the girl was murdered F"
"She suspects as much. But I am not such a
fool as I look, and I guessed if I spoke of a crime
she would fight shy for fear of being compromised;
whereas letting her imagine that her lodger died a
natural death, I feel pretty certain she would be
easily persuaded to identify her."
" I compliment you, my young friend. You played
your game like an old hand, and I really think you
are competent to work without me. You understand
the business quite as well."
"No, no ! ' cried Einos, " without you I should
do no good. I don't in the least know how to go
on unless I go to the police and relate the
whole affair from beginning to end."
"Anything rather than that," exclaimed Pie-
douche, emphatically. "You wouldbe takonfor a fool.
Those gentry don't deal in imagination, and you
have nothing positive to bring forward. The
lodging-house woman tells you the girl saw no one,
therefore you can suspect no one."
P "But she said she had relatives in Paris, and that
she went out every day for a singing lesson."
"Relatives in Paris is a very vague assertion, and
a singing lesson might be a mere pretext. where
did the singing master live ?"
" The woman does not know." -"
" Very well; then the next step is to find out
his address."

"He lived somewhere near the Jardin des
Plantes. You are the only person who can do it,"
said Binos.

"I will try, and perhaps I may succeed; hut it
will take some time. It is a perfect miracle that we
Should have fallen at once on the very place where
she lodged. We can't expect the same luck twice,"
replied his friend.

The devil! But they are going to bury her
directly; and when once that is done, how can you
Prove she was poisoned by a pin prick ? "
"That is just the point for my learned friend to
decide when hbas made some experiments. Jf he
declares that Cie poison used by the assassins leaves
no trace, there will be nothing more to do either
now or later on. If he states the contrary, there
Will be still a possibility of showing it. Besides,
the moral proofs which I shall collect will carry
great weight. The first thing is to discover who
could be interested in putting the girl out of the
Way."
Binos pulled a long face, and was far from look-
ing convinced.
'My dear fellow," continued riedouche, " if you
have not confidence in me, pray say so. Ido not in
the least care to be mixed up in this business, I
assure you."
"Yes, yes; you mistake ! " exclaimed the other.
"I feel unlimited confidence."
" Then allow me to proceed in my own way. I
ask for carte blanche."
By all means. I will act under your orders, and
depend entirely upon you."
" That is all right. Now, then, I shall work with
some chance of success. Still, there is one condi-
tion."

"Granted before asked."
"Speak of me to no one. Were it known that I
had undertaken such a campaign--"
"It shall not be known. To whom should I
speak ?"

"Why, to your comrades. You are always in
and out of other people's studies, and I suspect you
artists are not overburdened with discretion. During
the three days you have been waiting for me, I do
not expect, for instance, that you have held your
tongue about this. I don't mind betting you have
discussed it."
"On my honour, Pi(douche, I swear -"
"Don't swear, my friend. I see in your face you
have talked to some one. Tell me to whom. I
Prefer knowing."
"Upon my soul, you End out everything. Yes, I
have ma,.le one confidant; but he is a steady fellow,
and will not chatter, I am certain, for he does not
feel at all interested, and has already .forgotten the
Whole thing. He has plenty besides to occupy him,
and does not believe there was a crime at all, it is
Paul Frenouse, the painter; he will very likely get
the gold medal at the Salon, and he earns sixty
thousand francs a year."
" Oh! I know him by reputation, and by sight.
Have you told him you were going to apply to
me ?
" No ; he is unaware of your existence, I give you
my word of honour, and I promise never to mention
Your name to him. He shall think lam working
single-handed."
Pijdouche reflected some moments. Binos' last
assurance reeored to his countenance the serenity
Which the former indiscreet avowals had disturbed,
and he presently observed in a decided tone:
" I have your word, and I trust you. That is
Why I will undertake to help you. Keep quiet and
cora° to- morrow as usual to the 'Grand Bok.
Perhaps I shall have news for you. At present we
must part."
"I obey, 0 illustrious master," answered Binos,
gaily, pressing the hand of his friend, who at once
took his way towards the exterior boulevards.

CHAPTER XIII.
Wenn the enterprising Binos and the sagacious
Pl6douche had discovered, by one of those chances
'Which only befall the clever, the name and residence
of the poor dead girl, the rich M. Paulet was other-
vise occupied than in pursuing the authors of
oranibus crime, for the excellent reason that the
story had not reached his ears. M. Paulet never
read any but the financial papers. When he had
Perused the parts devoted to money and politics, he
scorned the more ordinary paragraphs of news. He
Prided himself on his serious talks and boasted of
never having read a novel. If lately he had inter-
ested himself in artists and their work, it was only
because he had become convinced that in the present
daY their profession might be extremely lucrative
when practised successfully.
lie had not formed this opinion without difficulty,
for he had always despised daubers, as he called
painters.
, .11e had considered them "starvelings "—that was
is expression—or else spendthrifts, who would die
1,11 a workhouse. But one of his friends had en-
Llghtened him on this subject. This friend, who
had amassed a fortune by selling curiosities, an-
and pictures, proved to M. Paula that
Artists of fame gained very large sums of money,
and that many be ame wealthy.
"They never speculate," added the ex-merchant
of bric-a-brac, "and are certain not to get into
'Liffieulties." This last remark made a great im-
Pression on M. Paulet, who would not for the world
have exposed his laughter's fortune to the chanes
cif loss by commercial disasters.
At that very moment there came under his notice
11aing young painter, who already sold his works
high prices, and would very soon obtain
atill larger ; an industrious, economic, and
'Well..bred man, with whose antecedents he Nvat;
acquainted—a fine young fellow, and mixing in
f,?pcsi society; in fact a paragon, and, to make every-
'-uirig complete, he pleased Marguerite. t.tM. .
Paulet, thus well disposed towards Freneuse,
11„L iY awaited an opportunity to make direct pro
Something might have been said at the
eatre whilst the play of "Les Chevaliers de
tet°,ll,lllarcin was being performed. but for the (life
jjeuing incident which had since that evening
Ti4sedh. him many sleeplecs nights.
deathe
wtealBegram informing him of his brother's
couched in the usual style of such
euluelaicatiotus—that is to say, the sender had SJ
--e`uLLY :economised his words as to render the
11,age aimed unintelligible.
particulars
Pall/134., therefore, telegraphed back for further
in the
correspondent, the deceased's notary, replied
e following laconic manner: "I leave to-
trlcaow for Paria.s,
41-• Paulet awaited impatiently the arrival of this
'Worthy, who had hitherto protected his interest,
~,
z.'"`-' who would not now, unless for important
beasons, undertake so long a journey. The testator
died at Amelie-les-Bains, a watering-place at
4,e foot of the eastern Pyrenees, 250 leagues from
"_ue capital. Doubtless the lawyer's intention in
',Wiling thence was to bring a copy of the deed by
'Which he had been disinherited.
6t,;),° Paulet had lived for three days in a painful
r `"`e of alternate hope and depression. He loved
,epose almost as much as his money, and this uncer-
tainty disturbed him to such an extent as to deprive
•of appetite and sleep. His daughter, much less
,Acited
izzacces,sibsice. arcely recognised him. He was almost
- She suggested once that At. Freneuse
plPeoctseadi their promised, visit to his studio; but the
Jas angrily rejected. He declared his in-
"lota not stirring out until the arrival of the
IT, which might happen at any moment. So
arta:,rguerite gave up endeavouring to persuade him,
tu";,...etsonsolcd herself with trying on mourning cos-
, which became her remarkably
eee4uu' .Paulet did not quit his private room. He
fr,,,d himself in collect ng the old letters received
his brother before their final quarrel. fie tried
vilScover ii ttosD dated frem Italynmething re,

2aira

7

lating to the marriage he suspected him of having
contracted in Rome, but he found none. The gre.,t
point was to ascertain if the deceased had had chil-
dren there, and whether they were legitimate or
otherwise; also, what had become of them. M.
l'aulet's enquiries en these points had hitherto been
fruitless; but, now that his brother was dead, their
elucidation became of the greatest importance.
On ;ho fourth day, after a melancholy breakfast,
at wh.,l, under the plea of a headache, Marguerite
did not appear, the anxious father had just seated
himself hi his office, when a servant announced thit
a gentleman wished to see him.
"What is his name ? " enquired M. Paulet.
When informed that the visitor had refused to
give it, he said:
"I will receive no one whom I do not know."
" He states, sir," replied the servant, "that he has
important business to speak to you about."
"Perhaps it is the notary," thought M. Paulet ;
"these provincials do not know our customs. He
idoubtless considered it was not ncressary to send
'n his card to my office. "Very well," he said,
show him in."

He rose from his seat to receive the person so
anxiously expected. A few minutes later the door
was opened, and an individual entered who was
neither notary nor provincial.
"How now; is it you ? " exclaimed the capitalist,
frowning. "I desired you not to come again until
you could bring me some certain evidence instead
of vague probabilities."
"I am obeying your orders, sir," replied the
visitor. "It is several days since you have seen me,
because I have had nothing fresh to tell you, but
to-day I bring you important facts—certainties."
"We shall see. But first tell me your name. I
have entirely forgotten it," said M. Paulet, con-
temptuously.
" Blanchelaine—Auguste Blanchelaine."
"Very well. I recollect it now. You call your-
self r.tn agent, rind you live near the Market St.
Honoro fd"

"Rue de la Soudiere, No. 74."
"I remember, now. I ought to have written it
down, for it went quite out of my head, and when
someLody lately asked me for it, I could not give it
him. Had you not better let me have your card "
"I have not one with me, but if you will kindly
give me the address of the person who wishes to see
me—'

"Presently; when I know the news you bring ;
but I must first tell you that you took the liberty
the other evening of bowing to me at the theatre
right across the house. I never authorised you to
act so familiarly."
"You have not forbidden me!"

"Possibly but I beg you not to do the same
again. And now till me what you have come to
say. At what potat in your enquiries have you
arrived F"

"They are ended.'
"How so ? "

"I have proof in my possession that Bartolomeo
Astrodi, who died laa year in Rome, had in 1862 a
daughter named Bianca."
"In 1862," repeated M. raulet, his countenance
darkening visibly.
"Yes, sir, on tl..e 24th December. I have
succeeded in obtaining a copy of the baptismal
register."
"Show it me."
"I have not brought it with me; but I will send
it you when the proper time comes."
"Surely you must remember its contents. Was
this Baxtolomea Astrodi married F"

"No, sir. The daughter, Bianca, is described as
the cud of a father unknown."

"Ah " exclaimed M. Paulet, relieved from an
anxiety. "And what has become of this girl? She
has doubtless disappeared."
"She left her mother when about ten or twelve
years old. But her mother always knew her where-
abouts. At the beginning of this winter Bianca
was a singer in the chorus of the Scala Theatre,
Milan."

"And is she still there P"
"No, sir; she left for Paris a month ago."
"For Paris! Why should she come here F"
"To search for her father, who was a
Frenchman."

" Come, come!" cried the capitalist, visibly
affected. "You are telling me a romance!"
t "It is quite true, sir; I am perfectly well in-
formed—you may believe me; so well that I can
give you the name of
,his Frenchman. He called
himself Francis Bozer. He had his child in Rome
when residing there. He now lives in the Depart-
ment of the Pyrenees Orientales."
"That does not concern you," said 31. Paulet,
sharply. ' I did ;not instruct you to obtain infer.
rnation about the father."

_
"No. But I never do things by halves. In
enquiring about the daughter, I wished to find out
why she left her country, and I did so."
" ow did you discover it?"
"That, sir, is my secret. If I exposed to rn'g
employers the mechanism of my profession they
would. not require my services. I know what I
have told you to be true, and can prove it; and I
know several other matters."

• " What mere do you know F" enquired M. raulet,
striving to assume an air of indifference.
" Sir," replied Auguste Blanchelaine, "I should
be justified in s lying nothing further . . . in
limiting myself to the narration of the way I have
conducted the enquiry you commissioned me to
make. I was charged to ascertain all about a child
to whom a certiin Bartolomea Astrodi gave birth
about twenty years ago. I now bring you full
particulars concerning this child, and am ready to
prove their correctness. If I Lsired to break off
there, it would only remain for me to demand pay-
ment for my trouble and expense."
"I do not object to pay you."
"Jam quite aware of that, but if I stopped short
here you would not sufficiently value my services.
The time is now arrived when I should speak
plainly with you."
"What do you mean by such words ? "
"I mean that I am aware why you are interested
in knowing what became of the afore-mentioned
Astrodi's child."

"My interest in the child! Bah! I have none."
"Speak seriously, sir, I beg. If you had no in-
terest in the girl's whereabouts you would not have
promised me a thousand francs for precise informa-
tion respecting her. Well, sir, I set myself to dia.
cover what that interest was, and have little diffi-
culty in so doing. Bianca Astrodi— daughter of
Baitolomea Astrodi— is your niece.'
"It's untrue—l have no niece!"
"You moan she is a left-handed niece. Her father
—he is also only your half-brother. You are none
the less his natural heir for the fortune which came
to him from your mother, and this is well worth
looking after, for it represents a very large sum."
"And suppose it be so," cried M. Paulet ; "this
girl's existence w ld not affect my position. You
have just told me that she has never been acknow-
ledged by her father; therefore, she has no right of

succession."

"Any legal right of reclamation, certainly not.
But, sir, you are aware that brothers are not heirs
by absolute right of birth. There is nothing to pre-
vent 31. Bozer leaving his money to whom he
pleases—say to Signora Bianca Astrodi ! It is well
for this girl that M. Bozer did not recognise her, for
he would not then have been in a position to leave
her his entire fortune. This is in accordance with
the Code."

" But if my brother had intended making this
girl sole legatee he would have taken some notice of
her; whereas for many years he has not tried to see
her," said Monsieur Paulet.
"No ; but although he did not see her, he may
not have forgotten her."
"He would certainly have expressed some desire
to see her," replied M. Paula. "In one way or
another he would have manifested his intentions."

"But he has now fully manifested them, and it
was not his fault that he did not see his daughter,"
answered the enquiry agent.
"You seem to know much more than I," said M.
Pau'et, sarcastically.
"No, not more, but as much," calmly replied
Auguste Blanchelaine. "I had the honour to state
to you just now that I made it a practice to go to
the very bottom of affairs committed to my charge.
I -was therefore under the necessity of seeking in-
formation in the district where M. Boxer, your
brother, resided eter his return to France. I have
a correspondent at AmOlie-les-Bains."
" Th's is going too far. I am astonished at your
impudence. You have been acting the spy upon my
relatives, and you -dare to tell me so to my face! Do
yod expect me to pay you for meddling in what did
not concern you?"
"I limit myself to giving you facts," answered
the agent, calmly. "It is for ,yourself to draw tho
conclusions."

"To the devil with your conclusions," cried M.
Paulet, transparent with rage. "I can dispense
with them and with you. My brother is just
dead."

"I am quite aware of it."
"You know it ?"

"Yes, since yesterday; and I also know that ho
has disinherited you in favour of Bianca Astrodi 1"
"Pt rhaps you are about to tell me you have seen
the will :"

"No, nor have you, but the notary who received
it has written to you. You look astonished!"
" Whether I am or not, I have no further need of
your services."
"On the contrary, my services are more requisite
than ever. What would you give to him who
brought you proof of the death of Bianca Astrodi
"How dare you pretend that she is dead. You
seem disposed to be facetious. You asserted just
now she was in Paris."

"Ali! but people die in Paris the same as every-
where else," said Blanchelaine, sneeringly.
"Have you any proof of her decease ?"
"Certainly, and I am ready to furnish it—nit for
nothing you will understand."
"r should be a fool to pay you, for I can pro3ure
it without your aid."
"Try."
"it would only be necessary to examine the
regißters at all the mairies in Paris."
That you are free to do; but remember people
who die arc not always registered in their true
names-" _
Cf this Astrodi be registered under a false name,
how could it be in your power to procure the certi-
tie to el her ileath o as to establish the fact
_

"That is my affair?.
"And even if you could produce it, of what use to
nao would it be? If she has inherited, her heirs
will inherit through her."
"Certainly. But on what day did M. Bozer die ?"
"On Wednesday, at three o'clock."
"Well, suppose Astroai died on Tuesday—what
then ?"
"It wou'd not alter the situation."

"I thought, sir, you knew more of the law."
"You don't intend lecturing me on the subject, I
suppose. Come; I have no time to spare. Explain
yourself clearly, and make an end of the matter."
"That is exactly what I desire to do. In order to
curio into a legacy one must survive the legatee, is
it not so ?"

"Undoubtedly :"
"Then a will made in favour of a deceased person
is null and void ?"

"That is plain enough, but--"
"This will become null and void; caduc is our
legal term."
"Well ?"

"Then it is as though it had never been made:
the property goes at once to the next in succession."
"Are you certain of all this ?"
"Perfectly so. If you doubt it consult your
notary or lawyer, or any one conversant with the
law."

"So that if this girl died one day before my
brother-"

"One day or one hour, it matters not. She could
not inherit if she died before the inheritance fell
vacant. It is entirely a question of dates to settle
it; nothing but the production of the two registers
of death is necessary."
"That of my brother, and that of the girl F"
"Precisely so. You can obtain that of M. Francis
Pozer when you please (if you have not already). It
is for you to decide whether you care to procure
that of Bianca Astrodi."

"You propose to sell it to me
"Of course I do."
(To be continued.)