Agnes: A Tale of the Streets — page 191: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

140 the salaries of tho employés in the Ministry Police remain unpaid for the past month?” * My financial secretary,” answered Ramorinc “omitted to give me the usual list until this after noon, when it was too late to pay the salaries; bu! it is my purpose to liquidate the amounts the fir: thing to-morrow morning.” The Minister of Finance listened with a col patience while Ramorino was speaking: and then he said, ‘‘ This ia most extraordinary, wy lord ; fo: your financial secretary tells quite a wifferen talo.” “Ah!” ejaculated Ramorino. “I know no what tale my financial secretary may tell; but | am confident your Excellency will not believe ¢ subordinate in preference to ma, his master.” * Ob, it is for your Excellency to settle a reckon. ing of this kind with the individual himself,” re. joined the Minister of Finance. ‘All I know is that your financial secretary complained tv mo this very evening, that although he gave your Excellency the usual list of salaries on the 31st of October—- “It is false, my lord !”’ cried HKamorino vehe- mently: “totally false | “Then doubtless your lordship,” resumed the Minister of Finance, “ will send at once to the firenaial secretary, and in my presence put him in pussersiun of the funds requisite fur the payment of the salaries P” ‘What ! at this hour ?” exclaimed Ramorino. ““It is close upon ten o'clock ! You would not have me attend to business at such a time in the evening 7?” “At any hour—at any time,” responded the Minister of Finance, “ when the honour of @ man and of a statesman is to be vindicated.” Ramorino luoked bard at his colleague, and said, ‘You are speaking, my: lord, as if you actuailly iuspected that I am capable of some deed to which [ will not more particularly allude.” The Minister of Finance looked still more piercingly and scrutinizingly at the Miuistor of Pulice, and said, “ You actually speak, wy Jord, as if you were unable to give a refutation to the charge laid by your financial secretary.” “Charge ?” echoed Ramorino. “ The term is a strange one, my lord!” “Yet it does amount to a charge,” reeponded the Minister of Finance ; “ for your secretary is prepared to repeat it to-morrow in the presence of the Prime Minister—and even in that of the Grand Duke himeelf, if necessary.” “ This is simply preposterous!” ejaculated Ra- morino, affecting to smile with contempt. “I tell you, my Jord, that at nino o’clock to-morrow morning the salaries shall «ll be paid ——”’ “ And I tell you, my lord,” interrupted the Minister of Finance, with’ the strongest em. phasis, “ that unless you this night convince me that the sum youu so recently drew from the Trea- bury is safe in your keeping, I sball deem it my duty to make a prompt report to the Prime Minister, and therein to embody such evidence as [ have received fromthe lips of your financial leqretary.” These were strong words for one minister to iddreas unto another : but the financier saw that ne wae fully justified in ao doing ; and gradually, ‘ut surely and uuerringly, had he been pushin, | AGNES; OBR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE, his colleague Ramorino into a corner. For if the Count were not guilty of the charge implied against him, would he not at once indignattly repel it, and convince his colleague that the accu. sation was an atrocious falsehood ? would he not for his own honour’s sake hasten to show that tho money was safe in his keeping, and thus sustaia the apology that the non payment of the salaries irose from an unavoidable cause of delay P “1 tell you again, my lord, ” said Ramorino, whom it cost many painful offorts to support an ‘xternal air uf composure, “ that everything sball be put atraight to-morrow morning, when the clerks arrive at the Prefecture at nine o’cluck. What more would you have ?” . “I would fain see your private )<tking-book,” ‘ejoined the Minis'er of Finance ; “or else I would see the eum itself in the strong box at the Pre- fecture.” “You shall see it, my lord,” replied Ramorino, with a steady calmness of countenance. “I shall e engaged for an hour: but if you will have the -oodness to meet me at eleven o'clock puno- ually, at the Prefecture of Police, I will convince ‘our Excellency that your suspicions are most iu- urious—most insulting ” “ Enough, my lord!” interjected the Miniater of “inance ; “‘ you cannot do more than give me the srouf which you have promised —and I cannot do less under the circuustances than to demand it, You will see that 1 know bcw to offer an apology whero I give offence. At eleven v’clock punctu- ily I eball be at the Prefecture of Police.” The Miuister of Finance bowed, and issued from ‘he room, sumewhat surprised at the result of the nterview, fur ho had fancied that he should bave wen the Count of Rumorino grovelling at his feet: but still be was by uo means vonvinced that ‘he promised provf would be afforded at the bour hat was appvinted. CHAPTER XXIV. THE MONEY-LENDER, ‘HB moment the door closed behind the Minister Finance, the Count of Ramoriny knit his brows, ‘round his teeth, and clenthed his fists with a udden access of rage; and he ejaculated, “ By ieaven! circumstances seem tuo grow darker and larker—and threatening clouds to spring up on ‘ery side! But no time is to be lost ! there are myriad difficulties to be met and a thousand evils be staved off this night! To-morrow, ruin or uccess !—deastruction or security ! Which alter- ative is it to be ?” He now hastened to the apartment where he iad left Lucrezia; and he found her labouring nder the utmost agitation and anxiety — for i@ had been wondering why he returned not. .inutes were now ages to the guilty woman; and _ every circumetance, even the most trivia, she theld the grisly phantom of danger rising up be- ire ber. “ What have you done?” ehe asked, rushiog ward to meet her husband. “ Does everything o uu well Pare the arrests effected?” + ‘‘The necessary orders have been given,” replied Comiclboolk ON Mn) Coin