No filial respect, you see!" And Vergniaud tried
to force a smile. "To do the boy justice, he apparently means to
keep his oath,--he has not rested; he has been at infinite pains to
discover me; he has even been at the trouble to write me a warning
letter, and is now in Paris watching me. I, in my turn, take care to
protect myself;--I am followed by detectives, and am at enormous
pains to guard my life; not for my own sake but for his. An odd
complication of circumstances, is it not? I cannot have him arrested
because he would at once relate his history, and my name would be
ruined. And that would be quite as good a vengeance for him as the
other thing. You will admit that it is a very dramatic situation!"
"It is a retribution!" said the Cardinal in a low voice, "And a
terrible one!"
"Yes, I suppose it is. I imagined you would consider it in that
light," and Vergniaud half closed his eyes, leaning back in his
chair languidly, "But here I am, willing to set things as straight
as I can, and it really seems impossible to arrange matters. I am to
die soon, according to the doctors;--and so I have made my
willleaving everything I possess to this ridiculous boy who wishes
to kill me; and it is more than probable that he,--considering how
he has been brought up and educated--will cast all the money into
the dirt, and kick at my grave.
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