Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/249

Rh relations between Guidon and Kehlmark.

"In your place," he ventured to say one day to Michael and Claudie, "I would not leave the young Guidon at the château. The irregular household of the Count and this minx is a bad example for a young man."

He saw by their astonished smile that he was taking a wrong road and so did not press the point.

Landrillon would not have been able to furnish the proof of the scandalous imputations that he was burning to formulate against the master of Escal-Vigor. To think that for an instant the rascal had flattered himself to be able to produce Blandine against him?

Warned beforehand, the Count would hold himself on his guard, would have care not to take any compromising step, to fall into any traps, and would save appearances to perfection.

The presence of Guidon at the château was justified from every point of view. Far from parting with him, the Count had just taken him into his service as secretary.

For a moment, Thibaut thought of suborning witnesses, of corrupting the Klaarvatsch workmen, the five Hercules, whom the 15