File No. 113 · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for File No. 113 by Émile Gaboriau.
Chapter 1
I
A newspaper report of a daring robbery at M. André Fauvel's bank is presented, noting the arrest of a clerk named P. B. on suspicion. The chapter then reveals that the newspaper account was inaccurate, and the true facts of the case are about to be detailed.
Chapter 2
The Accusation
Prosper Bertomy, the head cashier of Fauvel's bank, is accused by his employer, M. Fauvel, of stealing 350,000 francs. Despite Fauvel's paternal pleas for a confession, Prosper maintains his innocence. The chapter also introduces the bank's secure layout and the arrival of Count Louis de Clameran, who seeks to withdraw a large deposit. The tension escalates as Fauvel calls for the commissary of police, setting the stage for a formal investigation.
Chapter 3
III
The commissary of police arrives at the Fauvel bank to investigate the robbery. Fanferlot, a detective, observes the scene and develops a theory that the banker himself may have staged the theft to get rid of Prosper, who he believes is in love with Madeleine. Fanferlot keeps his suspicions to himself, noting a fresh scratch on the safe that he interprets as evidence of a hasty, clandestine opening. Meanwhile, the commissary questions Prosper and M. Fauvel, and the investigation proceeds. Later, Fanferlot visits Nina Gypsy, Prosper's mistress, and convinces her to flee to the Archangel Hotel to avoid incriminating Prosper. He arranges her departure and follows her to confirm she goes there.
Chapter 4
Chapter IV
M. Patrigent conducts the formal examination of Prosper Bertomy, who maintains his innocence despite the lack of evidence. The judge also questions witnesses including M. Fauvel, Lucien, Cavaillon, and bank clerks, gathering details about Prosper's past and possible motives. Fanferlot provides information but conceals his knowledge of Madeleine. The investigation continues, with Patrigent becoming increasingly convinced of Prosper's guilt.
Chapter 5
V
Prosper Bertomy is interrogated by Judge Patrigent, who tries to break his composure after a tense interview with his father. Prosper maintains his innocence, providing a detailed account of his finances and movements. His father, M. Bertomy, offers to repay the stolen money to preserve the family honor, but Prosper vehemently refuses, insisting on his innocence and vowing to clear his name.
Chapter 6
Chapter VI
Fanferlot, guided by his wife Mme. Alexandre, intercepts a letter from Nina Gypsy to Raoul de Lagors revealing a threat to expose a conversation she overheard. M. Lecoq then instructs Fanferlot to present photographic evidence to the judge to secure Prosper's release, and orders Fanferlot to pose as a valet named Joseph Dubois to spy on M. de Clameran. Lecoq transforms his appearance and reveals his deep personal interest in the case.
Chapter 7
VII
Prosper is released from prison after nine days, but the 'not proven' decision leaves him under suspicion. He struggles with despair and thoughts of suicide, but resolves to prove his innocence. He visits his apartment, where the porter greets him warmly. Raoul de Lagors visits and offers advice and money, suggesting Prosper leave Paris. Prosper learns about the Fauvel family and Madeleine's preparations for a ball. After Raoul leaves, M. Verduret reveals himself and analyzes a mysterious letter and package of money sent to Prosper, deducing it came from a woman and was cut from a prayerbook. He insists on visiting M. Fauvel.
Chapter 8
VIII
Prosper, accompanied by M. Verduret, visits M. Fauvel after his release from prison. M. Fauvel is consumed by melancholy and anger, and the meeting is tense. Verduret observes that Fauvel had no part in the robbery. Later, Prosper confronts Madeleine, who breaks off their engagement, claiming an invincible obstacle. Verduret reveals he overheard their conversation and insists that Madeleine still loves Prosper and is sacrificing herself for a secret reason. Prosper, initially defiant, is swayed by Verduret's arguments and begins to hope again.
Chapter 9
IX
M. Verduret reveals to Prosper the results of his investigation into Raoul de Lagors's false identity and the Clameran family history, while his spy Joseph Dubois reports on a heated argument between De Clameran and Raoul. A prayerbook belonging to Madeleine, with cut pages matching the pasted words on Prosper's letter, is produced as material proof. Verduret then rushes Prosper toward Vésinet, hoping to intercept the conspirators.
Chapter 10
Chapter X
Prosper and M. Verduret spy on Raoul's house, where Prosper sees Madeleine alone with Raoul, leading to a violent emotional outburst. Verduret restrains him, arguing that appearances may be deceiving and that his innocence must be proven first. They observe Madeleine leave scornfully, and later Raoul departs to report to Clameran.
Chapter 11
Chapter XI
Prosper, tormented by regret, sends an anonymous letter to M. Fauvel warning him about Mme. Fauvel and the Marquis de Clameran. Meanwhile, M. Verduret, having completed his investigation, returns to Paris. At a fancy ball, Raoul de Lagors announces his impending marriage to Madeleine, provoking a confrontation with Verduret (disguised as a clown). Verduret's cryptic reference to Gaston de Clameran terrifies the Marquis. Later, Verduret observes the interactions between Mme. Fauvel, Madeleine, Raoul, and the Marquis, sensing a hidden power over the women.
Chapter 12
The Drama
This chapter recounts the secret love affair between Gaston de Clameran and Valentine, set against the backdrop of a generations-old family feud between the Clameran and La Verberie families. Despite their families' hatred, Gaston and Valentine meet secretly, crossing the Rhone River at great personal risk. Their secret is discovered by local gossips, and the situation escalates when Gaston is implicated in a murder. His father, the Marquis de Clameran, initially refuses to allow him to marry Valentine, but when gendarmes arrive to arrest Gaston, the marquis orchestrates an escape plan involving a fisherman's boat on the Rhone.
Chapter 13
XIII
Valentine senses danger at Clameran and witnesses Gaston's perilous swim across the Rhone to reach her. They meet and passionately discuss their impossible situation: Gaston urges escape, but Valentine insists on staying with her mother out of duty, revealing her fear of disgrace and her mother's refusal to let her marry a poor man. Gaston is disguised by Père Menoul and hidden aboard the Tom Jones for Valparaiso, after a tearful farewell.
Chapter 14
XIV
Valentine endures four years of misery under her mother's cruelty, haunted by Gaston's memory and the legal consequences of his disappearance. The Countess de la Verberie's reckless spending drives the family into debt. When the wealthy engineer André Fauvel falls in love with Valentine, the countess pressures her to marry him, while Valentine struggles with the secret of her past and her lingering feelings for Gaston.
Chapter 15
XV
Louis de Clameran learns from the old servant Mihonne that his brother Gaston had a son with Valentine, who later married the wealthy banker Fauvel. Louis, driven by envy and greed, sees this secret as a means to secure a steady income. The chapter also recounts Louis's hatred for his brother, his father's favoritism, Gaston's apparent drowning, and Louis's subsequent inheritance and disastrous life in Paris, where he squanders a quarter of his fortune in three months.
Chapter 16
XVI
The Marquis de Clameran reveals to Mme. Fauvel that he knows her secret past and her son Raoul's true parentage. He pressures her into accepting a plan to introduce Raoul as her nephew, Raoul de Lagors, to her husband. Despite her initial resistance, she eventually submits to his threats. The chapter also details the subsequent introduction of Raoul into the Fauvel household and the growing tension over Raoul's reckless behavior, which Clameran reports to Mme. Fauvel.
Chapter 17
Chapter XVII
Madeleine overhears the Marquis de Clameran threatening Mme. Fauvel, revealing that Raoul is her illegitimate son. Despite her hatred for Clameran, Madeleine resolves to sacrifice herself by breaking off her engagement with Prosper and marrying the marquis to protect her aunt's family from disgrace. A struggle of self-sacrifice ensues, with Madeleine ultimately persuading Mme. Fauvel to accept her plan, though she harbors suspicions of a conspiracy between Clameran and Raoul.
Chapter 18
Chapter XVIII
Raoul and Louis de Clameran argue over their scheme involving Mme. Fauvel and Madeleine. Louis admits he loves Madeleine, which Raoul sees as a dangerous weakness. Meanwhile, Gaston de Clameran's backstory is revealed: after years of exile and fortune-seeking in Brazil, he returns to France, buys an iron-mill, and is reunited with his brother Louis. Later, Gaston falls suddenly ill, and despite medical attention, his condition worsens, leading him to call for a lawyer to make his will.
Chapter 19
XIX
Raoul, following the plan set by Louis, works to regain Mme. Fauvel's trust and affection while Louis is away. He succeeds so well that even Madeleine begins to doubt her earlier suspicions. When Louis returns, he reveals his ambition to become a wealthy iron-founder and pressures Raoul to continue their scheme, leading to a heated argument about morality and their share of the profits. They eventually reach an agreement, after which Raoul's behavior becomes increasingly extravagant and demanding, draining Mme. Fauvel and Madeleine's resources. They are forced to economize and eventually hand over Mme. Fauvel's diamonds to Raoul to pawn.
Chapter 20
Chapter XX
Raoul and Clameran successfully steal 350,000 francs from the Fauvel safe, with Raoul manipulating his mother, Mme. Fauvel, into revealing the key's location under the pretense of suicide. After the theft, Raoul is wracked with remorse but is restrained by Clameran's threats and promises. Clameran celebrates, seeing the money as securing his marriage to Madeleine, while Raoul vows never to commit such a crime again.
Chapter 21
XXI
After Raoul's departure, Mme. Fauvel is tormented by guilt and suspicion, believing Prosper complicit in the robbery. Madeleine, convinced of Prosper's innocence, secretly sends him money and urges him to leave France. The Marquis de Clameran, determined to marry Madeleine, plots to eliminate Raoul as an obstacle. The chapter explores the psychological turmoil of the characters as they await the fallout of the crime.
Chapter 22
XXII: The Catastrophe
M. Verduret reveals to Prosper the full extent of his investigation into the robbery, tracing the crime back to events twenty years prior involving Gaston de Clameran. He explains his methods of gathering evidence through surveillance, interviews, and purchased information. Prosper confesses to having written an anonymous letter to M. Fauvel about his wife and Raoul, which Verduret condemns as a foolish act that may ruin their plans. Verduret details his travels to Beaucaire, Clameran, and Oloron, and how he pieced together the conspiracy.
Chapter 23
XXIII
M. Fauvel receives an anonymous letter accusing his wife of infidelity and theft of her diamonds. Initially dismissing it, suspicion takes hold, and he discovers the diamonds are missing. He resolves to investigate secretly, sends for information about Raoul de Lagors, and intercepts a letter from Raoul to Mme. Fauvel. Gypsy, watching, removes the bullets from his revolver to prevent a murder.
Chapter 24
XXIV
M. Fauvel confronts his wife and Raoul, believing them to be lovers, and attempts to kill them both. Mme. Fauvel confesses her guilt, but M. Verduret intervenes, revealing that Raoul is actually her son, not her lover, and that the anonymous letter was false. Raoul is exposed as an impostor who swindled Mme. Fauvel.
Chapter 25
XXV
Four days after the previous events, Prosper Bertomy and Nina Gypsy meet at M. Lecoq's office. M. Verduret reveals himself to be Lecoq, the detective, and explains that he is also Caldas, the man Nina once loved and left. He saved Prosper from disgrace as an act of revenge. Prosper leaves alone, and later marries Madeleine Fauvel. M. Fauvel retires, and the banking firm becomes 'Prosper Bertomy & Co.'
