Castles in the Air Read online

  2.

  That very same evening I interviewed the concierge at No. 65 Rue desPyramides. From him I learned that Mr. Farewell lived on a very smallincome on the top floor of the house, that his household consisted ofa housekeeper who cooked and did the work of the apartment for him,and an odd-job man who came every morning to clean boots, knives, drawwater and carry up fuel from below. I also learned that there was agood deal of gossip in the house anent the presence in Mr. Farewell'sbachelor establishment of a young and beautiful girl, whom he tried tokeep a virtual prisoner under his eye.

  The next morning, dressed in a shabby blouse, alpaca cap, and trousersfrayed out round the ankles, I--Hector Ratichon, the confidant ofkings--was lounging under the porte-cochere of No. 65 Rue desPyramides. I was watching the movements of a man, similarly attired tomyself, as he crossed and recrossed the courtyard to draw water fromthe well or to fetch wood from one of the sheds, and then disappearedup the main staircase.

  A casual, tactful inquiry of the concierge assured me that that manwas indeed in the employ of Mr. Farewell.

  I waited as patiently and inconspicuously as I could, and at teno'clock I saw that my man had obviously finished his work for themorning and had finally come down the stairs ready to go home. Ifollowed him.

  I will not speak of the long halt in the cabaret du Chien Noir, wherehe spent an hour and a half in the company of his friends, playingdominoes and drinking eau-de-vie whilst I had perforce to cool myheels outside. Suffice it to say that I did follow him to his housejust behind the fish-market, and that half an hour later, tired outbut triumphant, having knocked at his door, I was admitted into thesqualid room which he occupied.

  He surveyed me with obvious mistrust, but I soon reassured him.

  "My friend Mr. Farewell has recommended you to me," I said with myusual affability. "I was telling him just awhile ago that I needed aman to look after my office in the Rue Daunou of a morning, and hetold me that in you I would find just the man I wanted."

  "Hm!" grunted the fellow, very sullenly I thought. "I work forFarewell in the mornings. Why should he recommend me to you? Am I notgiving satisfaction?"

  "Perfect satisfaction," I rejoined urbanely; "that is just the point.Mr. Farewell desires to do you a good turn seeing that I offered topay you twenty sous for your morning's work instead of the ten whichyou are getting from him."

  I saw his eyes glisten at mention of the twenty sous.

  "I'd best go and tell him then that I am taking on your work," hesaid; and his tone was no longer sullen now.

  "Quite unnecessary," I rejoined. "I arranged everything with Mr.Farewell before I came to you. He has already found someone else to dohis work, and I shall want you to be at my office by seven o'clockto-morrow morning. And," I added, for I am always cautious andjudicious, and I now placed a piece of silver in his hand, "here arethe first twenty sous on account."

  He took the money and promptly became very civil, even obsequious. Henot only accompanied me to the door, but all the way down the stairs,and assured me all the time that he would do his best to give meentire satisfaction.

  I left my address with him, and sure enough, he turned up at theoffice the next morning at seven o'clock precisely.

  Theodore had had my orders to direct him in his work, and I was leftfree to enact the second scene of the moving drama in which I wasdetermined to play the hero and to ring down the curtain to the soundof the wedding bells.