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your esteem。 Write me； answer me； say you respect me still； though
you have seased to love me。 My eyes are worthy still to look into
yours； but I do not ask an interfew； I fear my weakness and my
love。 But for pitty's sake write me a line at once； it will give
me the corage I need to meet my trubbles。 Farewell； orther of all
my woes； but the only frend my heart has chosen and will never
forget。
Ida。
This life of a young girl； with its love betrayed； its fatal joys； its
pangs； its miseries； and its horrible resignation； summed up in a few
words； this humble poem； essentially Parisian； written on dirty paper；
influenced for a passing moment Monsieur de Maulincour。 He asked
himself whether this Ida might not be some poor relation of Madame
Jules； and that strange rendezvous； which he had witnessed by chance；
the mere necessity of a charitable effort。 But could that old pauper
have seduced this Ida？ There was something impossible in the very
idea。 Wandering in this labyrinth of reflections； which crossed；
recrossed； and obliterated one another； the baron reached the rue
Pagevin； and saw a hackney…coach standing at the end of the rue des
Vieux…Augustins where it enters the rue Montmartre。 All waiting
hackney…coaches now had an interest for him。
〃Can she be there？〃 he thought to himself； and his heart beat fast
with a hot and feverish throbbing。
He pushed the little door with the bell； but he lowered his head as he
did so； obeying a sense of shame； for a voice said to him secretly：
〃Why are you putting your foot into this mystery？〃
He went up a few steps； and found himself face to face with the old
portress。
〃Monsieur Ferragus？〃 he said。
〃Don't know him。〃
〃Doesn't Monsieur Ferragus live here？〃
〃Haven't such a name in the house。〃
〃But； my good woman〃
〃I'm not your good woman； monsieur； I'm the portress。〃
〃But； madame；〃 persisted the baron； 〃I have a letter for Monsieur
Ferragus。〃
〃Ah！ if monsieur has a letter；〃 she said； changing her tone； 〃that's
another matter。 Will you let me see itthat letter？〃
Auguste showed the folded letter。 The old woman shook her head with a
doubtful air； hesitated； seemed to wish to leave the lodge and inform
the mysterious Ferragus of his unexpected visitor； but finally said：
〃Very good； go up； monsieur。 I suppose you know the way？〃
Without replying to this remark； which he thought might be a trap； the
young officer ran lightly up the stairway； and rang loudly at the door
of the second floor。 His lover's instinct told him； 〃She is there。〃
The beggar of the porch； Ferragus； the 〃orther〃 of Ida's woes； opened
the door himself。 He appeared in a flowered dressing…gown； white
flannel trousers； his feet in embroidered slippers； and his face
washed clean of stains。 Madame Jules； whose head projected beyond the
casing of the door in the next room； turned pale and dropped into a
chair。
〃What is the matter； madame？〃 cried the officer； springing toward her。
But Ferragus stretched forth an arm and flung the intruder back with
so sharp a thrust that Auguste fancied he had received a blow with an
iron bar full on his chest。
〃Back！ monsieur；〃 said the man。 〃What do you want there？ For five or
six days you have been roaming about the neighborhood。 Are you a spy？〃
〃Are you Monsieur Ferragus？〃 said the baron。
〃No； monsieur。〃
〃Nevertheless；〃 continued Auguste； 〃it is to you that I must return
this paper which you dropped in the gateway beneath which we both took
refuge from the rain。〃
While speaking and offering the letter to the man； Auguste did not
refrain from casting an eye around the room where Ferragus received
him。 It was very well arranged； though simply。 A fire burned on the
hearth； and near it was a table with food upon it； which was served
more sumptuously than agreed with the apparent conditions of the man
and the poorness of his lodging。 On a sofa in the next room； which he
could see through the doorway； lay a heap of gold； and he heard a
sound which could be no other than that of a woman weeping。
〃The paper belongs to me； I am much obliged to you；〃 said the
mysterious man； turning away as if to make the baron understand that
he must go。
Too curious himself to take much note of the deep examination of which
he was himself the object； Auguste did not see the half…magnetic
glance with which this strange being seemed to pierce him； had he
encountered that basilisk eye he might have felt the danger that
encompassed him。 Too passionately excited to think of himself； Auguste
bowed； went down the stairs； and returned home； striving to find a
meaning in the connection of these three persons；Ida； Ferragus； and
Madame Jules； an occupation equivalent to that of trying to arrange
the many…cornered bits of a Chinese puzzle without possessing the key
to the game。 But Madame Jules had seen him； Madame Jules went there；
Madame Jules had lied to him。 Maulincour determined to go and see her
the next day。 She could not refuse his visit； for he was now her
accomplice； he was hands and feet in the mysterious affair； and she
knew it。 Already he felt himself a sultan； and thought of demanding
from Madame Jules； imperiously； all her secrets。
In those days Paris was seized with a building…fever。 If Paris is a
monster； it is certainly a most mania…ridden monster。 It becomes
enamored of a thousand fancies： sometimes it has a mania for building；
like a great seigneur who loves a trowel； soon it abandons the trowel
and becomes all military； it arrays itself from head to foot as a
national guard； and drills and smokes； suddenly； it abandons military
manoeuvres and flings away cigars； it is commercial； care…worn； falls
into bankruptcy； sells its furniture on the place de Chatelet； files
its schedule； but a few days later； lo！ it has arranged its affairs
and is giving fetes and dances。 One day it eats barley…sugar by the
mouthful； by the handful； yesterday it bought 〃papier Weymen〃； to…day
the monster's teeth ache； and it applies to its walls an
alexipharmatic to mitigate their dampness； to…morrow it will lay in a
provision of pectoral paste。 It has its manias for the month； for the
season； for the year； like its manias of a day。
So； at the moment of which we speak； all the world was building or
pulling down something；people hardly knew what as yet。 There were
very few streets in which high scaffoldings on long poles could not be
seen； fastened from floor to floor with transverse blocks inserted
into holes in the walls on which the planks were laid；a frail
construction； shaken by the brick…layers； but held together by ropes；
white with plaster； and insecurely protected from the wheels of
carriages by the breastwork of planks which the law requires round all
such buildings。 There is something maritime in these masts； and
ladders； and cordage； even in the shouts of the masons。 About a dozen
yards from the hotel Maulincour； one of these ephemeral barriers was
erected before a house which was then being built of blocks of free…
stone。 The day after the event we have just related； at the moment
when the Baron de Maulincour was passing this scaffolding in his
cabriolet on his way to see Madame Jules； a stone； two feet square；
which was being raised to the upper storey of this building； got loose
from the ropes and fell； crushing the baron's servant who was behind
the cabriolet。 A cry of horror shook both the scaffold and the masons；
one of them； apparently unable to keep his grasp on a pole； was in
danger of death； and seemed to have been touched by the stone as it
passed him。
A crowd collected rapidly； the masons came down the ladders swearing
and insisting that Monsieur de Maulincour's cabriolet had been driven
against the boarding and so had shaken their crane。 Two inches more
and the stone would have fallen on the baron's head。 The groom was
dead； the carriage shattered。 'Twas an event for the whole
neighborhood； the newspapers told of it。 Monsieur de Maulincour；
certain that he had not touched the boarding； complained； the case
went to court。 Inquiry being made； it was shown that a small boy；
armed with a lath； had mounted guard and called to all f