Maxence was about to express the thoughts which Mme. de Thaller's name naturally suggested to his mind, but Mlle. Lucienne interrupted him, "In all my life," she went on, "I had never seen any thing so magnificent as that vestibule with its tall columns, its tessellated floor, its large bronze vases filled with the rarest flowers, and its red velvet benches, upon which tall footmen in brilliant livery were lounging.
"I was, I confess, somewhat intimidated by all of this splendor; and I remained awkwardly standing, when suddenly the servants stood up respectfully.
"A door had just opened, through which appeared a man already past middle age, tall, thin, dressed in the extreme of fashion, and wearing long red whiskers falling over his chest."
"The Baron de Thaller," murmured Maxence.
Mlle. Lucienne took no notice of the interruption.
"The attitude of the servants," she went on, "had made me easily guess that he was the master. I was bowing to him, blushing and embarrassed, when, noticing me, he stopped short, shuddering from head to foot.
"Who are you?' he asked me roughly.
"I attributed his manner to the sad condition of my dress, which appeared more miserable and more dilapidated still amid the surrounding splendors; and, in a scarcely intelligible voice, I began, "'I am a poor girl, sir -'
"But he interrupted me.
"'To the point! What do you want?'
"'I am awaiting an answer, sir, to a request which I have just forwarded to the baroness.'
"What about?'
"'Once sir, I was run over in the street by the baroness's carriage:
I was severely wounded, and had to be taken to the hospital.'
"I fancied there was something like terror in the man's look.
"It is you, then, who once before sent a long letter to my wife, in which you told the story of your life?'
"'Yes, sir, it was I.'
"'You stated in that letter that you had no parents, having been left by your mother with some gardeners at Louveciennes?'
"'That is the truth.'
"'What has become of these gardeners?'
"'They are dead.'
"'What was your mother's name?'
"'I never knew.'
"To M. de Thaller's first surprise had succeeded a feeling of evident irritation; but, the more haughty and brutal his manners, the cooler and the more self-possessed I became.
"'And you are soliciting assistance?' he said.
"I drew myself up, and, looking at him straight in the eyes, "'I beg your pardon,' I replied: 'it is a legitimate indemnity which I claim.'
"Indeed, it seemed to me that my firmness alarmed him. With a feverish haste, he began to feel in his pockets. He took out their contents of gold and bank-notes all in a heap, and, thrusting it into my hands without counting, "'Here,' he said, 'take this. Are you satisfied?'
"I observed to him, that, having sent a letter to Mme. de Thaller, it would perhaps be proper to await her answer. But he replied that it was not necessary, and, pushing me towards the door, "You may depend upon it,' he said, 'I shall tell my wife that I saw you.'
"I started to go out; but I had not gone ten steps across the yard, when I heard him crying excitedly to his servants, "'You see that beggar, don't you? Well, the first one who allows her to cross the threshold of my door shall be turned out on the instant.'
"A beggar, I! Ah the wretch! I turned round to cast his alms into his face; but already he had disappeared, and I only found before me the footman, chuckling stupidly.
"I went out; and, as my anger gradually passed off, I felt thankful that I had been unable to follow the dictates of my wounded pride.
"'Poor girl,' I thought to myself, 'where would you be at this hour?
You would only have to select between suicide and the vilest existence; whereas now you are above want.'
"I was passing before a small restaurant. I went in; for I was very hungry, having, so to speak, eaten nothing for several days past. Besides, I felt anxious to count my treasure. The Baron de Thaller had given me nine hundred and thirty francs.
"This sum, which exceeded the utmost limits of my ambition, seemed inexhaustible to me: I was dazzled by its possession.
"'And yet,' I thought, 'had M. de Thaller happened to have ten thousand francs in his pockets he would have given them to me all the same.'
"I was at a loss to explain this strange generosity. Why his surprise when he first saw me, then his anger, and his haste to get rid of me? How was it that a man whose mind must be filled with the gravest cares had so distinctly remembered me, and the letter I had written to his wife? Why, after showing himself so generous, had he so strictly excluded me from his house?
"After vainly trying for some time to solve this riddle, I concluded that I must be the victim of my own imagination; and I turned my attention to making the best possible use of my sudden fortune. On the same day, I took a little room in the Faubourg St. Denis; and I bought myself a sewing-machine. Before the week was over, I had work before me for several months. Ah! this time it seemed indeed that I had nothing more to apprehend from destiny; and I looked forward, without fear, to the future. At the end of a month, I was earning four to five francs a day, when, one afternoon, a stout man, very well dressed, looking honest and good-natured, and speaking French with some difficulty, made his appearance at my room. He was an American he stated, and had been sent to me by the woman for whom I worked. Having need of a skilled Parisian work-woman, he came to propose to me to follow him to New York, where he would insure me a brilliant position.
"But I knew several poor girls, who, on the faith of dazzling promises, had expatriated themselves. Once abroad, they had been shamefully abandoned, and had been driven, to escape starvation, to resort to the vilest expedients. I refused, therefore, and frankly gave him my reasons for doing so.