"I am rather inclined to believe that this intruder is the fruit of a first false step which M. Ferrand has committed in the springtime of life, for, as the Eagle of Meaux said concerning the taking of the veil by the tender La Vallière, "'Young or old, whiche'er you love, Crows may have an offspring dove!'" "I demand the head of Chalamel!" "In truth, with him it is impossible to talk reason a moment." "What stupidity! To say that this stranger is the son of the governor, when he is the oldest, as is easy to be seen--" "Well, what of that?" "How? what of that? The son older than the father?" "It is very plain; in that case, the intruder must have made the false step, and be the father of M. Ferrand, intead of being his son." "I demand the head of Chalamel!" "Do not listen to him; you know, when once he is in the way of saying stupid things, there is no end to it." "What is certain is, that this intruder has a bad face, and does not leave M. Ferrand for a moment." "He is always with him in his cabinet; they eat together; one does not move without the other." "I think I have seen the man before." "I think not." "Tell me, gents, have you not also remarked that for some days past, there comes regularly almost every two hours a man with great light mustaches and a military air, who asks the porter for the intruder? The intruder comes down, talks for a moment with the man with mustaches, after which the latter makes a half turn like an automaton, to come again in two hours after." "It is true; I have remarked him. It seems to me, also, that I meet some men when I go into the street who appear to be watching the house." "Seriously, there is something extraordinary going on here." "Who lives long enough will see." "On this subject the head clerk, perhaps, knows more than we do. But he plays the diplomatist." "Exactly; and where is he, then, for so long a time?" "He has gone to the house of the countess who was stabbed; it appears that she is now out of danger." "The Countess M'Gregor?" "Yes; this morning she sent for the governor to come at once, but he sent the head clerk in his place." "It is, perhaps, for a will." "No, because she is better." "Hasn't he work enough now, the head clerk, since he has taken Germain's place also?" "Speaking of Germain, here is another strange thing.'" "What is it?" "In order to have him set at liberty, the governor has declared it was he himself who made an error in his accounts, and that he had found the money which he accused Germain of stealing." "I do not find this strange, but just; you recollect I always said that Germain was incapable of theft." "It must, nevertheless, have been very disagreeable for him to be arrested and confined as a thief." "If I were in his place I would sue Jacques Ferrand for damages." "The least he could do would be to reinstate him as cashier, in order to prove that Germain was not culpable." "Yes, but perhaps Germain would not be willing."