rough head, whose features were steeped in shadow: "Ah! But I thought youhad business relations with him, and knew him particularly well.""No, I simply knew Hunter as everyone knew him. I was not even aware thathe was Baron Duvillard's agent in the African Railways matter; and therewas never any question of that affair between us."This was so improbable, so contrary to everything Barroux knew of thebusiness, that for a moment he felt quite scared. Then he waved his handas if to say that others might as well look after their own affairs, andreverted to himself. "Oh! as for me," he said, "Hunter called on me morethan ten times, and made me quite sick with his talk of the AfricanRailways. It was at the time when the Chamber was asked to authorise theissue of lottery stock.* And, by the way, my dear fellow, I was then hereat the Home Department, while you had just taken that of Public Works. Ican remember sitting at that very writing-table, while Hunter was in thesame armchair that I now occupy. That day he wanted to consult me aboutthe employment of the large sum which Duvillard's house proposed to spendin advertising; and on seeing what big amounts were set down against theRoyalist journals, I became quite angry, for I realised with perfectaccuracy that this money would simply be used to wage war against theRepublic. And so, yielding to Hunter's entreaties, I also drew up a listallotting 200,000 francs among the friendly Republican newspapers, whichwere paid through me, I admit it. And that's the whole story."*** This kind of stock is common enough in France. A part of it isextinguished annually at a public "drawing," when all suchshares or bonds that are drawn become entitled to redemptionat "par," a percentage of them also securing prizes of variousamounts. City of Paris Bonds issued on this system are verypopular among French people with small savings; but, on theother hand, many ventures, whose lottery stock has beenauthorised by the Legislature, have come to grief and ruinedinvestors.--Trans.
** All who are acquainted with recent French history will beaware that Barroux' narrative is simply a passage from thelife of the late M. Floquet, slightly modified to suit therequirements of M. Zola's story.--Trans.Then he sprang to his feet and struck his chest, whilst his voice againrose: "Well, I've had more than enough of all that calumny and falsehood!
And I shall simply tell the Chamber my story to-morrow. It will be myonly defence. An honest man does not fear the truth!"But Monferrand, in his turn, had sprung up with a cry which was acomplete confession of his principles: "It's ridiculous, one neverconfesses; you surely won't do such a thing!""I shall," retorted Barroux with superb obstinacy. "And we shall see ifthe Chamber won't absolve me by acclamation.""No, you will fall beneath an explosion of hisses, and drag all of usdown with you."
"What does it matter? We shall fall with dignity, like honest men!"Monferrand made a gesture of furious anger, and then suddenly becamecalm. Amidst all the anxious confusion in which he had been strugglingsince daybreak, a gleam now dawned upon him. The vague ideas suggested by
