He smoked for a while longer, and Bressant resumed his book.
"By-the-way, about this _incognito_ of yours," said the former at
length, laying aside his pipe, and taking off his straw hat: he had
forgotten to remove it on entering, and it had been oppressing him with
a sense of vague inconvenience ever since. "What is the meaning of it?
Do you mean to keep it strict? Is the idea you own?"
"Oh, no! I heard nothing of it till after my father was dead. It was
Mrs. Vanderplanck--she who wrote you the letter--who first spoke to me
of it, and said he had desired it. I don't know what the necessity of it
is, but it must be kept a strict secret. Should any one besides you know
who I am, I stand in danger of losing my fortune."
"Ah, ha! lose your fortune!" exclaimed the professor, frowning so
portentously as to unseat his spectacles. "How does that happen, sir?"
Bressant looked considerably amused at the old gentleman's evident
emotion; the more as he saw no occasion for it. "I never had the
curiosity to ask how," said he, pulling at his beard. "I shall run no
risks with my fortune. I'm satisfied to know there might be danger;
there's no difficulty in keeping silence about a name."
Professor Valeyon rose from his chair and walked to the window.
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