trousseau worth twenty thousand francs； her mother will give her six
thousand francs worth of diamonds。
〃Monsieur； you overpower me！〃 said Steinbock； quite bewildered。
〃As to the remaining hundred and twenty thousand francs〃
〃Say no more； monsieur；〃 said Wenceslas。 〃I ask only for my beloved
Hortense〃
〃Will you listen to me； effervescent youth！As to the remaining
hundred and twenty thousand francs； I have not got them； but you will
have them〃
〃Monsieur？〃
〃You will get them from the Government； in payment for commissions
which I will secure for you； I pledge you my word of honor。 You are to
have a studio； you see； at the Government depot。 Exhibit a few fine
statues； and I will get you received at the Institute。 The highest
personages have a regard for my brother and for me； and I hope to
succeed in securing for you a commission for sculpture at Versailles
up to a quarter of the whole sum。 You will have orders from the City
of Paris and from the Chamber of Peers； in short； my dear fellow； you
will have so many that you will be obliged to get assistants。 In that
way I shall pay off my debt to you。 You must say whether this way of
giving a portion will suit you； whether you are equal to it。〃
〃I am equal to making a fortune for my wife single…handed if all else
failed！〃 cried the artist…nobleman。
〃That is what I admire！〃 cried the Baron。 〃High…minded youth that
fears nothing。 Come；〃 he added； clasping hands with the young sculptor
to conclude the bargain； 〃you have my consent。 We will sign the
contract on Sunday next； and the wedding shall be on the following
Saturday； my wife's fete…day。〃
〃It is alright；〃 said the Baroness to her daughter； who stood glued to
the window。 〃Your suitor and your father are embracing each other。〃
On going home in the evening； Wenceslas found the solution of the
mystery of his release。 The porter handed him a thick sealed packet；
containing the schedule of his debts； with a signed receipt affixed at
the bottom of the writ； and accompanied by this letter：
〃MY DEAR WENCESLAS；I went to fetch you at ten o'clock this
morning to introduce you to a Royal Highness who wishes to see
you。 There I learned that the duns had had you conveyed to a
certain little domainchief town； /Clichy Castle/。
〃So off I went to Leon de Lora； and told him； for a joke； that you
could not leave your country quarters for lack of four thousand
francs； and that you would spoil your future prospects if you did
not make your bow to your royal patron。 Happily； Bridau was there
a man of genius； who has known what it is to be poor； and has
heard your story。 My boy； between them they have found the money；
and I went off to pay the Turk who committed treason against
genius by putting you in quod。 As I had to be at the Tuileries at
noon； I could not wait to see you sniffing the outer air。 I know
you to be a gentleman； and I answered for you to my two friends
but look them up to…morrow。
〃Leon and Bridau do not want your cash； they will ask you to do
them each a groupand they are right。 At least； so thinks the man
who wishes he could sign himself your rival； but is only your
faithful ally；
〃STIDMANN。
〃P。 S。I told the Prince you were away； and would not return till
to…morrow； so he said； 'Very goodto…morrow。' 〃
Count Wenceslas went to bed in sheets of purple； without a rose…leaf
to wrinkle them； that Favor can make for usFavor； the halting
divinity who moves more slowly for men of genius than either Justice
or Fortune； because Jove has not chosen to bandage her eyes。 Hence；
lightly deceived by the display of impostors； and attracted by their
frippery and trumpets； she spends the time in seeing them and the
money in paying them which she ought to devote to seeking out men of
merit in the nooks where they hide。
It will now be necessary to explain how Monsieur le Baron Hulot had
contrived to count up his expenditure on Hortense's wedding portion；
and at the same time to defray the frightful cost of the charming
rooms where Madame Marneffe was to make her home。 His financial scheme
bore that stamp of talent which leads prodigals and men in love into
the quagmires where so many disasters await them。 Nothing can
demonstrate more completely the strange capacity communicated by vice；
to which we owe the strokes of skill which ambitious or voluptuous men
can occasionally achieveor； in short； any of the Devil's pupils。
On the day before； old Johann Fischer； unable to pay thirty thousand
francs drawn for on him by his nephew； had found himself under the
necessity of stopping payment unless the Baron could remit the sum。
This ancient worthy； with the white hairs of seventy years； had such
blind confidence in Hulotwho； to the old Bonapartist； was an
emanation from the Napoleonic sunthat he was calmly pacing his
anteroom with the bank clerk； in the little ground…floor apartment
that he rented for eight hundred francs a year as the headquarters of
his extensive dealings in corn and forage。
〃Marguerite is gone to fetch the money from close by；〃 said he。
The official； in his gray uniform braided with silver； was so
convinced of the old Alsatian's honesty； that he was prepared to leave
the thirty thousand francs' worth of bills in his hands； but the old
man would not let him go； observing that the clock had not yet struck
eight。 A cab drew up； the old man rushed into the street； and held out
his hand to the Baron with sublime confidenceHulot handed him out
thirty thousand…franc notes。
〃Go on three doors further； and I will tell you why；〃 said Fischer。
〃Here； young man；〃 he said； returning to count out the money to the
bank emissary； whom he then saw to the door。
When the clerk was out of sight； Fischer called back the cab
containing his august nephew； Napoleon's right hand； and said； as he
led him into the house：
〃You do not want them to know at the Bank of France that you paid me
the thirty thousand francs； after endorsing the bills？It was bad
enough to see them signed by such a man as you！〃
〃Come to the bottom of your little garden； Father Fischer；〃 said the
important man。 〃You are hearty？〃 he went on； sitting down under a vine
arbor and scanning the old man from head to foot； as a dealer in human
flesh scans a substitute for the conscription。
〃Ay； hearty enough for a tontine；〃 said the lean little old man； his
sinews were wiry； and his eye bright。
〃Does heat disagree with you？〃
〃Quite the contrary。〃
〃What do you say to Africa？〃
〃A very nice country！The French went there with the little Corporal〃
（Napoleon）。
〃To get us all out of the present scrape； you must go to Algiers；〃
said the Baron。
〃And how about my business？〃
〃An official in the War Office； who has to retire； and has not enough
to live on with his pension； will buy your business。〃
〃And what am I to do in Algiers？〃
〃Supply the Commissariat with victuals； corn； and forage； I have your
commission ready filled in and signed。 You can collect supplies in the
country at seventy per cent below the prices at which you can credit
us。〃
〃How shall we get them？〃
〃Oh； by raids； by taxes in kind； and the Khaliphat。The country is
little known； though we settled there eight years ago； Algeria
produces vast quantities of corn and forage。 When this produce belongs
to Arabs； we take it from them under various pretences； when it
belongs to us； the Arabs try to get it back again。 There is a great
deal of fighting over the corn； and no one ever knows exactly how much
each party has stolen from the other。 There is not time in the open
field to measure the corn as we do in the Paris market； or the hay as
it is sold in the Rue d'Enfer。 The Arab chiefs； like our Spahis；
prefer hard cash； and sell the plunder at a very low price。 The
Commissariat needs a fixed quantity and must have it。 It winks at
exorbitant prices calculated on the difficulty of procuring food； and
the dangers to which every form of transport is exposed。 That is
Algiers from the army contractor's point of view。
〃It is a muddle tempered by the ink…bottle； like every incipient
government。 We shall not see our way through it for another ten years
we who have to do the governing； but private enterprise has sharp
eyes。So I am sending you there to make a fortune； I give you the
job； as Napoleon put an impoverished Marshal at the head of a kingdom
where smuggling might be secretly encouraged。
〃I am ruined； my dear Fischer； I must have a hundred thousand francs
within a year。〃
〃I see no harm in getting it out of the Bedouins；〃 said the Alsatian
calmly。 〃It was always done under the Empire〃
〃The man who wants to buy your business will be here this morning； and
pay you ten thousand francs down；〃 the Baron went on。 〃That will be
enough； I suppose； to take you to Africa？〃
The old man nodded assent。
〃As to capital out there； be quite easy。 I will draw the remainder of
the money due if I find it necessary。〃
〃All I have is yoursmy very blood；〃 said old Fischer。
〃Oh； do not be uneasy；〃 said Hulot； fancying that his uncle saw more
clearly than was the fact。 〃As to our excise dealings； your character
will no