Explore "The Parisians, Book II" by Edward Bulwer-lytton on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
AT about the same hour on the same day in which the Englishman held the conference with the Parisian detective just related, the Marquis de Rochebriant found himself by appointment in the _cabinet d'affaires_ of his _avoue_ M. Gandrin that gentleman had hitherto not found time to give him a definite opinion as to the case submitted to his judgment. The _avoue_ received Alain with a kind of forced civility, in which the natural intelligence of the Marquis, despite his inexperience of life, discovered embarrassment.
"Monsieur le Marquis," said Gandrin, fidgeting among the papers on his bureau, "this is a very complicated business. I have given not only my best attention to it, but to your general interests. To be plain, your estate, though a fine one, is fearfully encumbered -- fearfully -- frightfully."