Granville's estate

"I really envy that Mr. Turner!"

Louis who heard Alred said that did not agree with him.

"I don't think that Mr. Villiers du Turner thinks he is happier than you." Louis said to his friend, and he saw that the rose petals in the ceramic vase on the bedside table had begun to wither , walked over and picked off a few petals that had turned black and slightly curled at the edges: "Not to mention, when he was kicked out by the servants at the Viscount de Bourgogne's mansion that day, he must have been very envious of you for getting A real invitation."

Arred shook his head. He searched in the iron box and found that he could only find a fifty-franc gold coin, so he took out the enamel franc box he carried with him from his pocket——the Fraentin on this box. The family coat of arms is still clearly visible, which was once given to her only young grandson by Louis' grandmother, and was later given to Allaide by Louis as a gift for their graduation from Saint-Étienne.

Hidden at the very bottom of this franc box is the fifty-franc gold coin that Margaret threw to him as a tramp on the street, which was so dear to Alred, when she first saw him. After removing the top silver coin and two gold coins, the gold coin was pushed to the top by a spring installed at the bottom of the box, even though it was no different from the other two gold coins of the same denomination in the eyes of others, In Alred's view, it is absolutely unusable.

Alred stared at the gold louis, and sighed after a while: "Although Villiers du Turner did not get the invitation from the Vicomtesse de Bourgogne, he was lucky enough to get a good girl." Sincerely, she is even willing to borrow money for him. Louis, you don't know, in Paris, sincere love is such a luxurious emotion!"

However, Mary's performance in this love is too irrational. No matter what, emotions should be rational, restrained and measured. Emotions beyond common sense are like too violent flames, which will burn everything and cause disasters. ——Louis thought so, but he didn't express his thoughts, but asked: "Did you think of Miss Margaret because of Mary's matter?"

This time Alred did not answer Louis immediately. He threw two fifty-franc gold coins into the iron box, then picked out three twenty-franc gold coins from the iron box and put them in the franc box, and then put them into the box. The lid of the franc box is closed.

After doing all this, he answered his friend's question: "I went to see Margaret today, and I also met Mrs. Bussa."

"Then what did Miss Margaret say to you?" Louis asked, he was a little curious about what the girl thought of his really capricious behavior the day before when he woke up.

"She is not very willing to talk to me. She is probably still angry that I took her away from the Misal Opera House yesterday regardless of her wishes." Alred said, he sighed slightly, and even his tone was subconsciously low Come down: "Mrs. Busa blamed her, saying that she should not have put her reputation and identity in danger so capriciously, and made me and you risky to find her. As a result, you guess Margaret How? She answered Madame, 'Is there any honor and position for a man like me?'"

"In this way, Miss Margaret is still as capricious as ever." Louis said, he felt that it was not surprising to say such words with that girl's character: "But her friend, Mrs. Buscha is very sensible. With her persuading Miss Margaret all the time, maybe you don’t have to worry about Miss Margaret going to places like the Misard Opera House again.”

"Oh, come on, Louis!" said Arred, taking out the three fifty-franc gold coins and putting them aside, and then snapped the iron box shut: "The reason why Madame Boussard is here What I said about her in front of me was just because I was afraid that I would tell the story of the Misard Opera House, which would damage Marguerite's social status and cause her to suffer losses-since she regarded Marguerite as her own. If she is a cash cow, then of course she cannot be allowed to derogate her own value. In fact, the lady doesn't care about Marguerite's real situation at all. If going to the Missal Opera House can increase her friend's asking price every time, she will Will support Margaret to go every day!"

This was the first time that Louis heard Alrede use such harsh words to evaluate the people around Marguerite. He couldn't help being startled, and asked after a while: "But didn't you say that Madame Busa is very dependent?" For Marguerite? As you say, without Marguerite, she can't even pay for the cab--it's true, when she came to us yesterday, it was you who paid us She paid for the carriage!"

"Mrs. Busa is dependent on Margaret, but this does not affect her at the same time using Margaret as a cash cow, and even trying to control her." Alred said, he smiled bitterly: "The reason why she chose yesterday It's the same reason I'm going to the Misard Opera House to bring Marguerite back - if Marguerite's rich suitors had known about it, they'd probably have shrugged and gone Go away and never go to Marguerite again. This is an unbearable loss for Mrs. Busa. At this time, who else is better than a person who has not brought her much benefit, But a fool who cares about Margaret's safety is better suited to go to the opera house that will damage the reputation!"

"Don't say that, Al!"

While Louis was racking his brains about how to comfort his friend, they heard heavy footsteps coming from outside the bedroom, and within a minute, Joseph, the valet, walked in. He looked very depressed, He even forgot to ask if he could come in first.

"Sir," Joseph said to Alred, his expression was very reluctant: "I agree with my sister's proposal, can you let her receive the wages she wants to advance?"

"I thought it would take some time for you to reach an agreement. Now it seems that your negotiations are going well."

Alred said to Joseph a little surprised, and he glanced at the door: "Where is Mary, why doesn't she come with you?"

"She has just cried, and her eyes are red and swollen, and she doesn't want to see you. She asked me to give her the money I got from you."

"Then what do you think, Joseph, are you really willing to let your sister do this? What she wants to lend is a large sum of money, which is more than your annual wages combined."

Joseph puffed up his cheeks angrily when he heard Alred's question.

"I don't like it, sir. I don't like that man, but what can I do? I only have such a sister. I don't want her to cry. Seeing her cry makes me feel worse than being stabbed by a knife. "

Joseph said that he looked angry and helpless, and couldn't help complaining to Alred and Louis: "Gentlemen, I really don't like that man. If only my father was still alive, he would definitely Drive that Villiers away, and my sister will listen to what he said. That man can only talk sweetly, and he speaks nicely, but in fact he has nothing to lose. Every time he gives my sister To take her hard-earned wages from her, worthless rotten things--if it wasn't for my sister's anger, I would have smashed his old wooden mask yesterday at the Misard Opera Already!"

Regarding Joseph's complaints, Allred could only shake his head helplessly: "It's not necessarily true. If Mr. Abel is still there, maybe he can't do anything about Mary now-but, Joseph, I have I have an idea, come here."

He motioned for Joseph to come to him, then looked outside the door of the master bedroom to make sure that Mary was not there, and then lowered his voice and whispered his plan in the child's ear.

After Joseph listened to his master's plan, it was almost visible to the naked eye, and his whole body became lively.

"Sir, if that's the case, that would be really great!" He couldn't help shouting out, but he was afraid of being heard by Mary, so he immediately lowered his voice: "I will ask her for an IOU, as long as that If the man dares to appear here once, I will chase him once and ask when he will pay back the money, so that he will not dare to ask my sister for the rest of the money!"

"I'm sure you can do it, Joseph," said Arred, looking at Louis, and putting the three fifty-franc pieces into the hand of the footman: "Go, it's a test, it's a test." The outcome of the matter may concern your sister's marriage—if that M. Villier refuses to write a bill of exchange, I think you know what to do in the future."

Louis, who was standing aside, thought about it, and then added what Alred said, so as not to embarrass Joseph because Mary didn't want to listen to him: "If your sister doesn't want to, you can tell her that this is what your husband meant. , she had to do it."

"Okay, sir!"

Although Joseph vowed that he would watch Mary ask Villiers to write the IOU, after two days, Alred and Louis were still unable to see the precious handwriting of the college student who was about to become a decent reporter.

"Marie, have you lent the money to M. Villiers du Turner?"

At about three o'clock that afternoon, Alrede was going to take Louis to the Bois de Boulogne for a walk and get some fresh air. While the coachman was still preparing the carriage, he asked in front of Louis. Dodge their maids.

"First, sir," Mary blushed when she heard her master's question, she didn't dare to look into Alred's eyes: "He, he hasn't come to me yet..."

"Mary, I think any man should know and have the courage to shoulder his responsibilities." Alred said this to his maid in a kind but stern way, perhaps because he had a younger sister, he Unconsciously, he took this girl who was dazzled by love as his own sister and preached: "If a man can't bear the responsibilities he should bear, then in his family, who will be the head of the family?" Where is the pillar? Could it be his wife? That would be too outrageous."

Mary stood there with her head bowed, her ears and face so red that she looked as if she was going to find a crack in the ground.

"Sir! Two gentlemen!"

Just when Alred was about to say something more, Father Tongsar, the janitor at No. 79 St. George Street, hurried up the stairs. He looked very confused.

"Sir! There is a carriage outside. Two gentlemen say they want you. One of them says he is M. Jacques Bernard."

"Monsieur Jacques Bernard?"

Alred stood up from his chair in surprise, and looked at Papa Tongsar: "Why is he here? Did he send someone a business card saying that he would come to visit?"

"Al, who is this Mr. Jacques Bernard?" Louis couldn't help asking, he felt that the surname Bernard was familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it.

"He is one of the merchants who buy tea from Sologne and me. He is our biggest customer." Alred said to Louis, and then he asked Father Tongsar: "Who is Mr. Bernard coming with?" With Monsieur Sologne Grostedt?"

"No, sir, no."

Papa Tongsar took a quick breath, and his face was full of panic that could not be concealed by his bushy beard: "The one who came with Mr. Bernard is the senior police officer in charge of District No. 12, Jiyone Monsieur Du Clermont!"