Lagardère sets out to plan his revenge on Gonzague. After revealing to Aurore that she is the daughter of the late Duke of Nevers, and that her mother is still alive, he gains employment as Gonzague's secretary disguised as a hunchback, makes contact with Blanche revealing that her daughter is alive, and then engineers a stock market raid on shares in the Mississippi Company supposedly on behalf of Gonzague — in fact he purchases the stock using gold provided by Blanche for her daughter's benefit.