"Yes, and our purses too," adds Madame Valoie. "Would M'sieu' care to see the album of the Tessier properties? Yes? M'sieu' Lapierre, kindly show the gentleman."
Lapierre unbuttons his homespun coat and produces a cheap paper-covered blank book in which are pasted small photographs and woodcuts of various well-known New York buildings. It is hard not to smile.
"M'sieu' will see," continues Madame Valoie, "that the dream had something substantial about it. When we saw these pictures in Bordeaux we were on the point of giving up in despair, but the pictures convinced us that it was all true. Moreover, just at that time the General intimated that unless he had more money he might yield to the efforts of the Lespinasse family to buy him off."
Madame Valoie points vindictively to a certain paragraph in one of the letters: "Of course they are convinced that I am not for sale, not for anything. … To my regret, my very great regret, I shall be forced to capitulate if you do not come to my aid and that quickly, for I repeat to you that my funds are all gone."
"And here is his bill," continues Madame Valoie, producing a folded document composed of countless sheets of very thin paper, bound together at the edges by strips of heavier material. This, when unfolded, stretches entirely across the room and is seen to be composed of hundreds of typewritten items, of which the following may serve as illustrations:
EXPENSES IN NEW YORK
July 12, Train to New Orleans … … . … $25.50
" 16, Train to Florida … … . … . $ 2.50
" " Dinner on train … … . … . $ 2.00
" 17, Hotel in Florida … … . … . $ 2.00
" 18, Trip to Coney Island … … . … . $ .50
" 19, Return to Florida … … . … . $ .50
" 21, Return from Florida to New Orleans $ 2.50
" " Laundry … … . … . $ 1.15
Dec. 3, Return to New York … … . … . $ 6.50
" 24, Train to Vera Cruz … … . … . $57.50
Jan. 4, Trip to Tuxpan … … . … . $ 2.50
" 5, Return to Vera Cruz … … . … . $ 2.50
" 6, Sudden night trip to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, via Buffalo and
Niagara Falls … … . … . $50.50
" 18, Laundry for three months … … … $ 5.00
Etc., etc.
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES
To Agent Pushyt John, a meerschaum and amber
cigar-holder and pipe … … . … . $ 7.00
Tobacco jar of shell and silver … … . … . $ 4.00
To Indian Peter South-Go, a watch, a suit,
and a pair of shoes … … . … . $16.50
To my general agent of confidential reports
for his daughter, a gold ring and a
feather fan … … . … . $ 7.00
A necktie for himself and scarf pin in
gold and with stone for the necktie … $ 8.60
To the letter-carrier to bring me my
correspondence and not give it to any
one else when I should change address . $ 4.00
Invitation to the Consul and his two
agents in Washington hotel … … . … . $12.00
Several invitations to cafés and saloons
to the Police Agents … … . … . $ 2.00
Invitations to old employees of Jean
Tessier, to tear from them the
declarations … … . … . $ 1.50
Barber expenses … … . … . $11.50
Tobacco and matches, July to December,
three packages each week, ten cents
each … … . … . $ 7.80
Changing hotels to lead astray the agents
of the impostors … … . … . $ 9.50
Etc., etc.
"To obtain a collossal fortune as yours will be, it is necessary to spend money unstintingly and to have lots of patience. Court proceedings will be useless, as trickery and lies are necessary to get the best of the scoundrels. It is necessary also to be a scoundrel."
"That he might well say," interpolates Lapierre. "He succeed, c'est sure."
I rapidly glanced over the remaining letters. The General seems always to be upon the verge of compelling a compromise. "I have already prepared my net and the meshes are tightly drawn so that the fish will not be able to escape. … For an office like this one needs money—money to go quickly from one place to another, prosecute the usurpers, not allow them an instant's rest. If they go to some city run after them at once, tire them with my presence and constantly harass them, and by this means compel them to hasten a compromise—"
The General is meeting with superhuman obstacles. In addition to his enemies he suffers all sorts of terrible bodily afflictions. Whenever the remittances from the Lapierres do not arrive the difficulties and diseases increase.
At last, however, after an interval of two years, things took a turn for the better. A "confidential representative" of the conspirators—one "Mr. Benedict-Smith"—arrived to make a bona fide offer of one hundred and fifty million dollars in settlement of the case. The General writes at great length as to exactly in what proportion the money should be divided among the heirs. The thing is so near a culmination that he is greatly exercised over his shabby appearance.
I am without a son and too badly dressed to go before the banker in the very likely case of his arrival here. Send me my baggage at once with the first steamer, and mark each piece "fragile." This is all. My regards to Madame Lapierre and your son. I am cordially yours, squeezing your hand.
PEDRO S. DE MORENO.
But the Lapierres and Tessiers, while not for an instant distrusting the honesty of the General, had become extremely weary of sending him money. Each heir felt that he had contributed enough toward the General's "expenses and invitations." Even the one hundred and fifty millions within easy reach did not prompt immediate response.
About the same time an extraordinary messenger arrived at the Lapierre farm, purporting to come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and instructing Lapierre to repair immediately to Paris. The messenger explained that the presence of Lapierre was desired at the Ministry in connection with some investigation then in progress into the affairs of one Jean Tessier. Then the messenger departed as mysteriously as he had arrived.
Good M. Lapierre was highly excited. Here was indubitable evidence of the truth of the General's assertions. But, just as the latter had intended, perhaps, the worthy farmer jumped to the conclusion that probably the messenger from Paris had been sent by the conspirators.
"At the last moment," wrote Lapierre to Moreno, "I received from Paris a letter commanding me to go to the Ministry, and at the same time a telegram recommending