I might stand face to face with him without being
able to say, 'It's he.' But it would be quite a different thing if
I only had a photograph of him."
A crimson flush spread over Mademoiselle Marguerite's face. Still
she answered, unaffectedly, "I will give you M. Ferailleur's
photograph to-morrow, monsieur."
"Then I shall be all right!" exclaimed Chupin. "Have no fears,
mademoiselle, we shall outwit these scoundrels!"
So far a silent witness of this scene, M. Fortunat now felt it his
duty to interfere. He was not particularly pleased by his clerk's
suddenly increased importance; and yet it mattered little to him,
for his only object was to revenge himself on Valorsay. "Victor
is a capable and trustworthy young fellow, mademoiselle," he
declared; "he has grown up under my training, and I think you will
find him a faithful servant."
A "have you finished, you old liar?" rose to Chupin's lips, but
respect for Mademoiselle Marguerite prevented him from uttering
the words. "Then everything is decided," she said, pleasantly.
And with a smile she offered her hand to Chupin as one does in
concluding a bargain.
If he had yielded to his first impulse he would have thrown
himself on his knees and kissed this hand of hers, the whitest and
most beautiful he had ever seen. As it was, he only ventured to
touch it with his finger-tips, and yet he changed color two or
three times.
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