AT THE BANK
Jean de Gue's bank was in Villars, a small town about ten miles from the chateau. When Gaston
brought my breakfast I said, "I want you to drive me to Villars, at ten o'clock."
Just as I finished dressing, the little servant, Germaine, knocked on the door and said, "Madame
Paul asked if she might go with you into Villars. She has to go to the hair-dresser."
I could not refuse, but wished that I could. So I asked Francoise if she want to go together. "No,
I'm expecting Dr Lebrun." she said.
Marie-Noel came in and kissed us both and demanded to be taken into Villars. "Oh yes," I said to
Francoise. "She can come. Renee will look after her. She has to go to the hair-dresser."
"Yes," said Marie-Noel. "As soon as she heard that Papa was going to Villars, she went to the
telephone."
Francoise said, "She went to that hair-dresser only a week ago ... I'll try to keep Dr Leburn until
you come back." Then she saud to Marie-Noel, "He's coming to see if your baby brother will be a fine
strong boy."
"I don't want a baby brother. Girls are just as strong as boys." She suddenly turned a cart-wheel.
But her feet fit a little table and broke a china cat and dog. They fell and were broken to pieces.
"Oh, my cat and dog!" cried Frncoise. "My mother gave them to me when I left home. You little beast!
Why didn't your father teach you how to behave? Soon you'll have a brother and he'll get all the
attention and you'll take second place. Now leave me, both of you! Get out!"
I picked up the broken pieces and packed them up in the paper which had been used for the bottle of
"Desire". I said to Marie-Noel, "We must find a shop in Villars where they can be mended."
The car was waiting and Renee was standing in the hall. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting," she
said. There was a note of eager expectation in her voice. Expectation of what? Some secret meeting-
place in Villars?
Marie-Noel came running down. "I'm coming with you, Aunt Renee."
"Who said that you could come? Why aren't you doing your lessons?"
"Aunt Blanche likes to give me my lessons in the afternoon, and Papa is glad to have my company,
aren't you, Papa?"
Renee's face changed suddenly. For a moment I thought that she was going to return to the chateau.
Then, without looking at me, she got into the back of the car.
I saw the hair-dresser's shop and stopped in front of it. I opened the door of the car for Renee.
"What time will you be ready?" She did not answer but walked straight into the shop.
Marie-Noel and I walked through the market and bought some presents for servants. I saw that we were
being watched by a woman with fair hair and blue eyes. As she passed us she whispered in my ear,
"Quite the family man for a change!"
When we back to the car, "Perhaps they mend china in that place near the Old Gate of the town," said
Marie-Noel. "Can I go and ask there? Then I'll come back and meet you at the bank."
"Oh, all right," I went to the bank. I said, "I want to see my account--my account and the accounts
of the glass factory."
In the office I looked over a mass of papers one by one, but could not understand much of them. "Is
this all?" I asked. He looked rather surprised. "No, Monsieur le Comte, unless, of course, you wish
to look in your iron safe down below?"
"Yes," I said. "Please." There was no money in the safe, only a lot of papers all carefully tied
together. One of them caught my eye: "Marriage Settlement of Francoise Bruyere".
I read it several times. It seemed that Francoise's father was a very rich man. All the money given
to Francoise at her marriage was held in trust for her son. If there was no son when Francoise
reached the age of fifty, the money was to be divided between her and her daughters. If she died
before the age of fifty and there was no son the money would be divided between the husband and any
daughters.
I now understood why Francoise and the others thought it so important that there should be a son.
I put the papers back in the safe except one from the lawyer named Talbert, written two or three
weeks earlier: it was about Jean de Gue's money and the glass factory. I put it in my pocket.