“What are your last commands, my colonel?”

“That no man shall enter the Chalet,” cried the father with strong emotion.  “Dumay, guard my last child as though you were a bull-dog.  Death to the man who seduces another daughter!  Fear nothing, not even the scaffold—­I will be with you.”

“My colonel, go in peace.  I understand you.  You shall find Mademoiselle Mignon on your return such as you now give her to me, or I shall be dead.  You know me, and you know your Pyrenees hounds.  No man shall reach your daughter.  Forgive me for troubling you with words.”

The two soldiers clasped arms like men who had learned to understand each other in the solitudes of Siberia.

On the same day the Havre “Courier” published the following terrible, simple, energetic, and honorable notice:—­

“The house of Charles Mignon suspends payment.  But the undersigned, assignees of the estate, undertake to pay all liabilities.  On and after this date, holders of notes may obtain the usual discount.  The sale of the landed estates will fully cover all current indebtedness.

  “This notice is issued for the honor of the house, and to prevent
  any disturbance in the money-market of this town.

  “Monsieur Charles Mignon sailed this morning on the ‘Modeste’ for
  Asia Minor, leaving full powers with the undersigned to sell his
  whole property, both landed and personal.

    Dumay, assignee of the Bank accounts,
    Latournelle, notary, assignee of the city and villa property,
    Gobenheim, assignee of the commercial property.”

Latournelle owed his prosperity to the kindness of Monsieur Mignon, who lent him one hundred thousand francs in 1817 to buy the finest law practice in Havre.  The poor man, who had no pecuniary means, was nearly forty years of age and saw no prospect of being other than head-clerk for the rest of his days.  He was the only man in Havre whose devotion could be compared with Dumay’s.  As for Gobenheim, he profited by the liquidation to get a part of Monsieur Mignon’s business, which lifted his own little bank into prominence.

While unanimous regrets for the disaster were expressed in counting-rooms, on the wharves, and in private houses, where praises of a man so irreproachable, honorable, and beneficent filled every mouth, Latournelle and Dumay, silent and active as ants, sold land, turned property into money, paid the debts, and settled up everything.  Vilquin showed a good deal of generosity in purchasing the villa, the town-house, and a farm; and Latournelle made the most of his liberality by getting a good price out of him.  Society wished to show civilities to Madame and Mademoiselle Mignon; but they had already obeyed the father’s last wishes and taken refuge in the Chalet, where they went on the very morning of his departure, the exact hour of which had been concealed from them.  Not to be shaken in his resolution by his grief at parting, the brave man said farewell to his wife and daughter while they slept.  Three hundred visiting cards were left at the house.  A fortnight later, just as Charles had predicted, complete forgetfulness settled down upon the Chalet, and proved to these women the wisdom and dignity of his command.