Having antedated the bills by six months, Carlos had had them drawn on Esther by a man whom the county court had “misunderstood,” and whose adventures, in spite of the excitement they had caused, were soon forgotten, hidden, lost, in the uproar of the great symphony of July 1830.
This young fellow, a most audacious adventurer, the son of a lawyer’s clerk of Boulogne, near Paris, was named Georges Marie Destourny.
His father, obliged by adverse circumstances to sell his connection, died in 1824, leaving his son without the means of living, after giving him a brilliant education, the folly of the lower middle class.
At twenty-three the clever young law-student had denied his paternity by printing on his cards
Georges d’Estourny.
This card gave him an odor of aristocracy; and now, as a man of fashion, he was so impudent as to set up a tilbury and a groom and haunt the clubs.
One line will account for this: he gambled on the Bourse with the money intrusted to him by the kept women of his acquaintance.
Finally he fell into the hands of the police, and was charged with playing at cards with too much luck.
He had accomplices, youths whom he had corrupted, his compulsory satellites, accessory to his fashion and his credit.
Compelled to fly, he forgot to pay his differences on the Bourse.
All Paris — the Paris of the Stock Exchange and Clubs — was still shaken by this double stroke of swindling.
In the days of his splendor Georges d’Estourny, a handsome youth, and above all, a jolly fellow, as generous as a brigand chief, had for a few months “protected” La Torpille.
The false Abbe based his calculations on Esther’s former intimacy with this famous scoundrel, an incident peculiar to women of her class.
Georges d’Estourny, whose ambition grew bolder with success, had taken under his patronage a man who had come from the depths of the country to carry on a business in Paris, and whom the Liberal party were anxious to indemnify for certain sentences endured with much courage in the struggle of the press with Charles X.‘s government, the persecution being relaxed, however, during the Martignac administration.
The Sieur Cerizet had then been pardoned, and he was henceforth known as the Brave Cerizet.
Cerizet then, being patronized for form’s sake by the bigwigs of the Left, founded a house which combined the business of a general agency with that of a bank and a commission agency.
It was one of those concerns which, in business, remind one of the servants who advertise in the papers as being able and willing to do everything.
Cerizet was very glad to ally himself with Georges d’Estourny, who gave him hints.
Esther, in virtue of the anecdote about Nonon, might be regarded as the faithful guardian of part of Georges d’Estourny’s fortune.
An endorsement in the name of Georges d’Estourny made Carlos Herrera master of the money he had created.
This forgery was perfectly safe so long as Mademoiselle Esther, or some one for her, could, or was bound to pay.
After making inquiries as to the house of Cerizet, Carlos perceived that he had to do with one of those humble men who are bent on making a fortune, but — lawfully.
Cerizet, with whom d’Estourny had really deposited his moneys, had in hand a considerable sum with which he was speculating for a rise on the Bourse, a state of affairs which allowed him to style himself a banker.
Such things are done in Paris; a man may be despised — but money, never.
Carlos went off to Cerizet intending to work him after his manner; for, as it happened, he was master of all this worthy’s secrets — a meet partner for d’Estourny.
Cerizet the Brave lived in an entresol in the Rue du Gros–Chenet, and Carlos, who had himself mysteriously announced as coming from Georges d’Estourny, found the self-styled banker quite pale at the name.
The Abbe saw in this humble private room a little man with thin, light hair; and recognized him at once, from Lucien’s description, as the Judas who had ruined David Sechard.
“Can we talk here without risk of being overheard?” said the Spaniard, now metamorphosed into a red-haired Englishman with blue spectacles, as clean and prim as a Puritan going to meeting.
“Why, monsieur?” said Cerizet. “Who are you?”
“Mr. William Barker, a creditor of M. d’Estourny’s; and I can prove to you the necessity for keeping your doors closed if you wish it.
We know, monsieur, all about your connections with the Petit–Clauds, the Cointets, and the Sechards of Angouleme ——”
On hearing these words, Cerizet rushed to the door and shut it, flew to another leading into a bedroom and bolted it; then he said to the stranger:
“Speak lower, monsieur,” and he studied the sham Englishman as he asked him,
“What do you want with me?”
“Dear me,” said William Barker, “every one for himself in this world.
You had the money of that rascal d’Estourny. — Be quite easy, I have not come to ask for it; but that scoundrel, who deserves hanging, between you and me, gave me these bills, saying that there might be some chance of recovering the money; and as I do not choose to prosecute in my own name, he told me you would not refuse to back them.”
Cerizet looked at the bills. “But he is no longer at Frankfort,” said he.
“I know it,” replied Barker, “but he may still have been there at the date of those bills ——”
“I will not take the responsibility,” said Cerizet.
“I do not ask such a sacrifice of you,” replied Barker; “you may be instructed to receive them. Endorse them, and I will undertake to recover the money.”
“I am surprised that d’Estourny should show so little confidence in me,” said Cerizet.
“In his position,” replied Barker, “you can hardly blame him for having put his eggs in different baskets.”
“Can you believe ——” the little broker began, as he handed back to the Englishman the bills of exchange formally accepted.
“I believe that you will take good care of his money,” said Barker. “I am sure of it!
It is already on the green table of the Bourse.”
“My fortune depends ——”
“On your appearing to lose it,” said Barker.
“Sir!” cried Cerizet.
“Look here, my dear Monsieur Cerizet,” said Barker, coolly interrupting him, “you will do me a service by facilitating this payment.
Be so good as to write me a letter in which you tell me that you are sending me these bills receipted on d’Estourny’s account, and that the collecting officer is to regard the holder of the letter as the possessor of the three bills.”