Egerton Castle

“ Indeed, but for the looming of the Winter toward which Autumn undeniably drifts, this amiable gentleman could argue that the seventh decade was in many ways the most satisfactory of the whole span noted of the psalmist.
Unalloyed enjoyment is so rare in this world that it may without rashness be asserted that no one was more content with life than M. de Gournay as he sat by his balconied window, all in the glow of a fine sunset, examining a new bibliographic treasure just come into his possession. ”

“ What sort of a person is Ashtoreth, the soi-disant Spanish comtesse?”
“She would be at ease in any salon.”
“Ah, I thought so. And Belphegor, we know, is a dandy of the first water. These vampires masquerade among each other under demoniacal names, with a rallying phrase, 'the Invisibles,' for a wager in this case. I wonder,” went on M. Henri, peering again at the paper, “whether we have them all here? Abaddon is done with. Ashtoreth and Belphegor I look to have under my thumb before noon. Who may Moloch be? Bah! He'll come to the net, too! ”

“ We can not refrain from suggesting to you, quite in a private manner, of course—the advisability, in presence of the ill-luck which seems in some mysterious way to follow the steps of the members of the association, to exercise an ever-suspecting vigilance; to keep secret, as far as possible, your intentions and your movements, at least until the fifteenth is past. And lastly, if it can be managed, to induce your son to accompany you on your journey here.
We remain, etc.
M. de Gournay poured out his coffee, drank it and ate his white loaf, lost in a painful muse. ”

“ You will keep the appointment with Ashtoreth, and before twelve o'clock strikes, this invisible association of society brigands, I give you my word, will be a thing of the past. I can not believe,” he added earnestly, “that you can hesitate; Mr. Ferrars, wounded as he is, is lending his help.”
“But my son, my son!” cried M. de Gournay. “He is as gravely threatened as I am. ”

“ Shall we not all of us be thin enough—some day?”
And he would add a “dum vivimus, vivamus;” a “carpe diem,” or some such comforting tag dear to the bon-vivant.
If it be further mentioned that the heir to this fortunate house, a youth of attainments, idolized by his father, was rapidly making for himself a brilliant position without losing a loving devotion to his family—a characteristic very particularly French—it will have been made plain that M. Havart de Gournay had the right to be pleased with life. ”

“ It has, you see, the arms of Lucanor on the side——”
“Are these Lucanor?” had exclaimed the greedy collector in ravishment.
“Yes,” had pursued the dame, in pleasant but businesslike tones. “And there are a good many others; the best houses of Castile. I am a lone woman; I have no use for all these vieilleries. But, to be frank, I have much use for their worth. I must leave France in something of a hurry, and I require money. I made inquiries. I heard that M. de Gournay collected such things; that he was a man of wealth. ”

“ He will not trouble us, as Abaddon, who brings you this, beauteous Ashtoreth, will no doubt assure you.
And now the full crowning of our labors depends on your success. The rosy-gilled collector of bibliographic treasures is ready to give any price for armorial bindings, and the parcel I have had conveyed to you contains one which will prove killing bait. Make good use of it. Neglect no detail. By the way, since our friend is an accomplished gourmet, that little repast we have discussed for his consumption—get it at Chevet's or Perignon's. It should be irresistible. ”

“ He bent sideways over the table and laid a finger upon the letter. “Especially if it be a woman. One moment, you are a better-lettered man than I, but I believe I am right in presuming that the name Ashtoreth refers to a female devil?”
“Yes, certainly.” M. de Gournay sank deeper into wonder. “The Semitic Aphrodite, an evil spirit. And, as a fact, I have an appointment with a lady this morning, between eleven and twelve. Yes, and about treasures,” he said ruefully, as he saw in imagination these coveted prizes melting into thin air. ”

“ I see that the introduction is sufficient for the present. And I feel, now, confident that it will lead to a transaction that may be very pleasant to you—while it will extricate me out of a difficulty. I possess, at my villa in St. Mande—I have written the address on the card—a collection of books left me by my late husband. I have always understood, although these are not things I understand, that it is a remarkable one. ”