Produced by David Widger and Pat Castevens
THE WANDERING JEW
By Eugene Sue
BOOK V.
XIV. The Eve of a Great Day
XV. The Thug
XVI. The Two Brothers of the Good Work
XVII. The House in the Rue Saint-Francois
XVIII. Debit and Credit
XIX. The Heir
XX. The Rupture
XXI. The Change
XXII. The Red Room
XXIII. The Testament
XXIV. The Last Stroke of Noon
XXV. The Deed of Gift
CHAPTER XIV.
THE EVE OF A GREAT DAY.
About two hours before the event last related took place at St. Mary'sConvent, Rodin and Abbe d'Aigrigny met in the room where we have alreadyseen them, in the Rue du Milieu-des-Ursins. Since the Revolution of July,Father d'Aigrigny had thought proper to remove for the moment to thistemporary habitation all the secret archives and correspondence of hisOrder—a prudent measure, since he had every reason to fear that thereverend fathers would be expelled by the state from that magnificentestablishment, with which the restoration had so liberally endowed theirsociety. [11]
Rodin, dressed in his usual sordid style, mean and dirty as ever, waswriting modestly at his desk, faithful to his humble part of secretary,which concealed, as we have already seen a far more importantoffice—that of Socius—a function which, according to the constitutionsof the Order, consists in never quitting his superior, watching his leastactions, spying into his very thoughts, and reporting all to Rome.
In spite of his usual impassibility, Rodin appeared visibly uneasy andabsent in mind; he answered even more briefly than usual to the commandsand questions of Father d'Aigrigny, who had but just entered the room.
"Has anything new occurred during my absence?" asked he. "Are the reportsstill favorable?"
"Very favorable."
"Read them to me."
"Before giving this account to your reverence," said Rodin, "I mustinform you that Morok has been two days in Paris."
"Morok?" said Abbe d'Aigrigny, with surprise. "I thought, on leavingGermany and Switzerland, he had received from Friburg the order toproceed southward. At Nismes, or Avignon, he would at this moment beuseful as an agent; for the Protestants begin to move, and we fear areaction against the Catholics."
"I do not know," said Rodin, "if Morok may not have had private reasonsfor changing his route. His ostensible reasons are, that he comes here togive performances."
"How so?"
"A dramatic agent, passing through Lyons, engaged him and his menageriefor the Port Saint-Martin Theatre at a very high price. He says that hedid not like to refuse such an offer."
"Well," said Father d'Aigrigny, shrugging his shoulders, "but bydistributing his little books, and selling prints and chaplets, as wellas by the influence he would certainly exercise over the pious andignorant people of the South or of Brittany, he might render services,such as he can never perform in Paris."
"He is now below, with a kind of giant, who travels about with him. Inhis capacity of your reverence's old servant, Morok hoped to have thehonor of kissing your hand this evening."
"Impossible—impossible—you know how much I am occupied. Have you sentto the Rue Saint-Francois?"
"Yes, I have. The old Jew guardian has had notice from the notary. Tomorrow, at six in the morning, the masons will unwa