Secret des Champdoce. English
CHAPTER VI.
THE COUNT DE PUYMANDOUR.
Since the death of the Duchess of Champdoce the greater portion of theChateau had been closed, but the reception rooms were always ready to beused at a very short notice.
The dining-room was a really magnificent apartment. There were massivebuffets of carved oak, black with age, ornamented with brass mountings.The shelves groaned beneath their load of goblets and salvers of thebrightest silver, engraved with the haughty armorial bearings of thehouse of Champdoce.
Standing near one of the windows, Norbert saw a man, stout, robust, baldand red-faced, wearing a mustache and slight beard. His clothes wereevidently made by a first-rate tailor, but his appearance was utterlycommonplace.
"This is my son," said the Duke, "the Marquis de Champdoce. Marquis, letme introduce you to the Count de Puymandour."
This was the first time that his father had ever addressed Norbert byhis title, and he was greatly surprised. The great clock in the outerhall, which had not been going for fifteen years, now struck, andinstantly a butler appeared, bearing a massive silver soup tureen, whichhe placed on the table, announcing solemnly that his Grace was served,and the little party at once seated themselves. A dinner in such a vastchamber would have been rather dull had it not been enlivened by theamusing tales and witty anecdotes of the Count de Puymandour, which henarrated in a jovial but rather vulgar manner, seasoned with bursts oflaughter. He ate with an excellent appetite, and praised the quality ofthe wine, which the Duke himself had chosen from the cellar, which hehad filled with an immense stock for the benefit of his descendants.The Duke, who was generally so silent and morose, smiled buoyantly, andappeared to enjoy the pleasantries of his guest. Was this only the dutyof the host, or did his geniality conceal some hidden scheme? Norbertwas utterly unable to settle this question, for though not gifted withmuch penetration, he had studied his father's every look as a slavestudies his master, and knew exactly what annoyed and what pleased him.
The Count de Puymandour lived in a magnificent house, with his daughterMarie, about three miles from Champdoce, and he was exceedingly fond ofentertaining; but the gentry, who did not for a moment decline to accepthis grand dinners, did not hesitate to say that Puymandour was a thiefand a rogue. Had he been convicted of larceny, he could not have beenspoken of with more disdainful contempt. But he was very wealthy,and possessed at least five millions of francs. Of course this was anexcellent reason for hating him, but the fact was, that Puymandour wasa very worthy man, and had made his money by speculation in wool on theSpanish frontier. For a long period he had lived happy and respectedin his native town of Orthez, when all at once he was tempted by thethought of titular rank, and from that time his life was one longmisery. He took the name of one of his estates, he bought his title inItaly, and ordered his coat-of-arms from a heraldic agent in Paris, andnow his ambition was to be treated as a real nobleman. The mere fact ofdining with the eccentric Duke de Champdoce, who never invited any oneto his table, was to him, as it were, a real patent of nobility.
At ten o'clock he rose and declared he must leave, and the Duke escortedhim the length of the avenue to the great gates opening on the mainroad, and Norbert, who walked a few paces in the rear, caught now andthen a few words of their conversation.
"Yes," remarked Puymandour, "I will give a million down."
Then came a few words from the Duke, of which Norbert could only catchthe words, "thousands and millions."
He paid, however, but little attention, for his mind was many milesaway. Since the unlooked-for meeting with that fair young face, he hadthought of nothing else, and he mechanically shook hands with, and badehis guest "Good-night" when his father did.
When the Duke was sure that M. de Puymandour could not hear his voice,he took his son by the arm, and the bitterness of feeling which he hadso long repressed burst forth in words.
"This," said he, "is a specimen of the mushroom aristocracy that hassprung up, and not a bad sample either; for though he is puffed up byridiculous vanity, the man is shrewd and intelligent enough, and hisdescendants, who will have the advantages of a better education thantheir progenitors, will form a new class, with more wealth and as muchinfluence as the old one."
For more than an hour the Duke de Champdoce enlarged on his favoritetopic; but he might as well have been alone, for his son paid noattention to what he said, for his mind was still dwelling upon hisadventures of the morning. Again that sweet, soft laugh, and thatmodulated voice rang in his ears. How foolish he must have seemed toher! and what a ridiculous figure he must have cut in her eyes! He hadby no means omitted to engrave on the tablet of his memory the fact thatDiana passed daily down the little path on her errand of bounty, andthat there he had the chance of again seeing her. He fancied that hehad so much to say to her; but as he found that his bashfulness woulddeprive him of the power of utterance, he determined to commit hissentiments to paper. That night he composed and destroyed some fiftyletters. He did not dare to say openly, "I love you," and yet that wasexactly what he wanted to express, and he strove, but in vain, tofind words which would veil its abruptness and yet disclose the wholestrength of his feelings. At last, however, one of his efforts satisfiedhim. Rising early, he snatched up his gun, and whistling to Bruno, madehis way to the spot where he had the day before seen Diana stretchedupon the ground. But he waited in vain, and hour after hour passed away,as he paced up and down in an agony of suspense. Diana did not come. Theyoung lady had considered her plans thoroughly and kept away. The nextday he might have been again disappointed but for a lucky circumstance.Norbert was seated on the turf, awaiting with fond expectation the younggirl's approach and as Diana passed the opening to the pathway Brunoscented her, and rushed forward with a joyous bark. She had then nooption but to walk up to the spot where Norbert was seated. Both theyoung people were for the moment equally embarrassed, and Norbert stoodsilent, holding in his hand the letter which had caused him so muchlabor to indite.
"I have ventured to wait for you here, mademoiselle," said he in a voicewhich trembled with suppressed emotion, "because I was full of anxietyto know how you have been. How did you contrive to return home with yourwounded foot?"
He paused, awaiting a word of encouragement, but the girl made no reply,and he continued,--
"I was tempted to call and make inquiries at your father's house, butyou had forbidden me to speak of the accident, and I did not dare todisobey you."
"I thank you sincerely," faltered Diana.
"Yesterday," the young man went on, "I passed the whole day here. Areyou angry with me for my stupidity? I had thought that perhaps you hadnoticed my anxiety, and might have deigned to----"
He stopped short, terrified at his own audacity.
"Yesterday," returned Diana with the most ingenuous air in the world,and not appearing to perceive the young man's embarrassment, "I wasdetained at home by my mother."
"Yes," replied he, "for the past two days your form, lying senseless andbleeding on the ground, has ever been before my eyes, for I felt as if Iwere a murderer. I shall always see your pale, white face, and how,when I raised up your head it rested on my arm for a moment, and all therapture--"
"You must not talk like that, Marquis," interrupted Diana, but she spokein such a low tone that Norbert did not hear her and went on,--
"When I saw you yesterday my feelings so overpowered me that I could notput them into words; but as soon as you had left me, it appeared as ifall grew dark around me, and throwing myself on my knees, I searchedfor the tiny leaden pellet that might have caused your death. I at lastfound it, and no treasure upon earth will ever be more prized by me."
To avoid showing the gleam of joy that flashed from her eyes, Diana wascompelled to turn her head on one side.
"Forgive me, mademoiselle," said Norbert, in despair, as he noticed thismovement; "forgive me if I have offended you. Could you but know howdreary my past life has been, you would pardon me. It seemed to me,the very moment that I saw you, I ha
d found a woman who would feel someslight interest in me, and that for her sweet compassion I would devotemy whole life to her. But now I see how mad and foolish I have been, andI am plunged into the depths 'of despair.'"
She accompanied these words with a glance sufficiently tender to restoreall Norbert's courage.
"Ah, mademoiselle," said he; "do not trifle with me, for that would betoo cruel."
She let her head droop on her bosom, and, falling upon his knees, hepoured a stream of impassioned kisses upon her hands. Diana felt herselfswept away by this stream of passion; she gasped, and her fingerstrembled, as she found that she was trapped in the same snare that shehad set for another. Her reason warned her that she must bring thisdangerous interview to a conclusion.
"I am forgetting all about my poor pensioners," said she.
"Ah, if I might but accompany you!"
"And so you may, but you must walk fast."
It is quite true that great events spring from very trivial sources; andhad Diana gone to visit La Besson, Norbert might have heard somethingconcerning Daumon that would have put him on his guard; but,unfortunately, to-day Diana was bound on a visit to an old woman inanother part of the parish.
Norbert looked on whilst this fair young creature busied herself in herwork of charity, and then he silently placed two louis from the moneyhe had borrowed, on the table, and left the cottage. Diana followedhim, and, laying her finger upon her lips with the significant word"to-morrow," turned down the path that led to her father's house.Norbert could hardly believe his senses when he found himself againalone. Yes, this lovely girl had almost confessed her affection forhim, and he was ready to pour out his life blood for her. He tore up theletter which had cost him so much trouble to compose, for he feltthat he could make no use of it. He had now no anxieties regarding thefuture, and he thanked Providence for having caused him to meet Dianade Laurebourg. It never entered his brain that this apparently frank andopen-hearted girl had materially furthered the acts of Providence. Atsupper that night he was so gay, and in such excellent spirits, thateven his father's attention was at last attracted.
"I would lay a wager, my boy," remarked the Duke, "that you have had agood day's sport."
"You would win your wager," answered the young man boldly.
His father did not pursue the subject; but as Norbert felt that he mustgive some color to his assertion, he stopped the next day, and purchasedsome quails and a hare. He waited fully half an hour for Diana; and whenshe did appear, her pale face and the dark marks under her eyes showedthat anxiety had caused her to pass a sleepless night.
No sooner had she parted from Norbert than she saw the risk that she wasrunning by her imprudent conduct. She was endangering her whole futureand her reputation,--all indeed that is most precious to a young girl.For an instant the thought of confiding all to her parents entered herbrain; but she rejected the idea almost as soon as she had conceived it,for she felt that her father would believe that the parsimonious Dukede Champdoce would never consent to such a marriage, and that her entireliberty would be taken from her, and that she might even be sent back tothe convent.
"I cannot stop now," she murmured, "and must be content to run all risksto effect an object in which I am now doubly interested."
Diana and Norbert had a long conversation together on this day in a spotwhich had become so dear to them both, and it was only the approach of apeasant that recalled the girl to the sense of her rash imprudence, andshe insisted on going on her ostensible errand of charity. Norbert, asbefore, escorted her, and even went so far as to offer his arm, uponwhich she pressed when the road was steep or uneven.
These meetings took place daily, and after a few short minutes spent inconversation, the young lovers would set off on a ramble. More than oncethey were met by the villagers, and a little scandal began to arise.This was very imprudent on Diana's side; but it had been a part of herplan to permit her actions to be talked of by the tongue of scandal.Unfortunately the end of November was approaching, and the weathergrowing extremely cold. One morning, as Norbert arose from his couch, hefound that a sharp icy blast was swaying the bare branches of the trees,and that the rain was descending in torrents. On such a day as thishe knew that it was vain to expect Diana, and, with his heart full ofsadness, he took up a book and sat himself down by the huge fire thatblazed in the great hall.
Mademoiselle de Laurebourg had, however, gone out, but it was in acarriage, and she had driven to a cottage to see a poor woman who hadbroken her leg, and who had nothing but the scanty earnings of herdaughter Francoise upon which to exist. As soon as Diana entered thecottage she saw that something had gone wrong.
"What is the matter?" asked she.
The poor creature, with garrulous volubility, exhibited a summons whichshe had just received, and said that she owed three hundred francs, andthat as she could no longer pay the interest, she had been summoned,and that her little property would be seized, and so a finishing strokewould be put to her troubles.
"It is the Counsellor," said she, "that rogue Daumon, who has done allthis."
The poor woman went on to say that when she went to her creditor toimplore a little delay, he had scoffingly told her to send her prettydaughter to him to plead her cause.
Mademoiselle de Laurebourg was disgusted at this narrative, and her eyesgleamed with anger.
"I will see this wicked man," said she, "and will come back to you atonce."
She drove straight to the Counsellor's house. Daumon was engaged inwriting when the housekeeper ushered Diana into the office. He rose tohis feet, and, taking off his velvet skull cap, made a profound bow,advancing at the same time a chair for his visitor's accommodation.
Though Diana knew nothing of this man, she was not so unsophisticated asNorbert, and was not imposed upon by the air of servile obsequiousnessthat he assumed. With a gesture of contempt, she declined the profferedseat, and this act made Daumon her bitter enemy.
"I have come," said she in the cold, disdainful words in which younggirls of high birth address their inferiors,--"I have come to you fromWidow Rouleau."
"Ah! you know the poor creature then?"
"Yes, and I take a great interest in her."
"You are a very kind young lady," answered the Counsellor with asinister smile.
"The poor woman is in the most terrible distress both of mind and body.She is confined to her bed with a fractured limb, and without any meansof support."
"Yes, I heard of her accident."
"And yet you sent her a summons, and are ready to seize all shepossesses in the world."
Daumon put on an air of sympathy.
"Poor thing!" said he. "How true it is that misfortunes never comesingly!"
Diana was disgusted at the man's cool effrontery.
"It seems to me," answered she, "that her last trouble is of yourmaking."
"Is it possible?"
"Why, who is it but you who are the persecutor of this poor lonecreature?"
"I!" answered he in extreme astonishment; "do you really think thatit is I? Ah! mademoiselle, why do you listen to the cruel tongues ofscandal-mongers? To make a long story short, this poor woman boughtbarley, corn, potatoes, and three sheep from a man in the neighborhood,who gave her credit to the extent of I daresay three hundred francs.Well, in time, the man asked--most naturally--for his money, and failingto get it, came to me. I urged him to wait, but he would not listen tome, and vowed that if I did not do as he wished he would go to some oneelse. What was I to do? He had the law on his side too. Ah!" continuedhe, as though speaking to himself, "if I could only see a way of gettingthis poor creature out of her trouble! But that cannot be done withoutmoney."
He opened a drawer and pulled out about fifty francs.
"This is all my worldly wealth," said he sadly. "But how foolish I am!For, of course, when poor Widow Rouleau has a wealthy young lady to takean interest in her, she must have no further fear."
"I will speak to my father on the matter," answered Diana
in a voicewhich showed that she had but little hope of interesting him in thewidow's misfortunes.
Daumon's face fell.
"You will go to the Marquis de Laurebourg?" asked he. "Now, if youwould take my advice, I should say, go to some intimate friend,--to theMarquis de Champdoce, for instance. I know," he went on, "that the Dukedoes not make his son a very handsome allowance; but the young gentlemanwill find no difficulty in raising whatever he may desire--as it willnot be long before he is of age--without counting his marriage, whichwill put an enormous sum at his disposal even before that."
Diana fell in an instant into the trap the wily Daumon had laid for her.
"A marriage!" exclaimed she.
"I know very little about it; only I know that if the young man wishesto marry without his father's consent, he will have to wait at leastfive years."
"Five years?"
"Yes; the law requires that a young man who marries against his father'sdesire should be twenty-five years of age."
This last stroke was so totally unexpected, that the girl lost her head.
"Impossible!" cried she. "Are you not making a mistake?"
The Counsellor gave a quiet smile of triumph.
"I am not mistaken," said he, and calmly pointed out in the code theprovision to which he had alluded. As Diana read the passage to whichhis finger pointed, he watched her as a cat watches a mouse.
"After all, what does it matter to me?" remarked Diana, making an effortto recover herself. "I will speak about this poor woman's case to myfather;" and, with her limbs bending under her, she left the room.
As Daumon returned from accompanying her to the door, the Counsellorrubbed his hands.
"Things are getting decidedly warm," muttered he.
He felt that he must gain some further information, and this he couldnot get from Norbert. It would be also as well, he thought, to tell thesheriff to stay proceedings relative to the Widow Rouleau. By this meanshe might secure another interview with Mademoiselle de Laurebourg, andperhaps win the poor girl's confidence.
As Diana rode home, she abandoned herself to the grief which theintelligence that she had just heard had caused her, for the foresightof the framers of the law had rendered all her deeply laid plans of noavail.
"The Duke of Champdoce," murmured she to herself, "will never consent tohis son's marriage with so scantily a dowered woman as I am; but assoon as Norbert is of age he can marry me, in spite of all his father'sopposition; but, oh! 'tis a dreary time to wait."
For a moment she dared to think of the possible death of the old man;but she shuddered as she remembered how strong and healthy he was,and felt that the frail edifice of her hope had been crushed into tenthousand atoms. For all this, however, she did not lose courage. She wasnot one of those women who, at the first check, beat a retreat. She hadnot yet decided upon a fresh point of departure, but she had fully madeup her mind that she would gain the victory. The first thing was to seeNorbert with as little delay as possible. Just then the carriage pulledup at the widow's cottage, which she entered hastily.
"I have seen Daumon," said she. "Do not be alarmed; all matters will bearranged shortly."
Then, without listening to the thanks and blessings which the poor womanshowered upon her, she said,--
"Give me a piece of paper to write on," and, standing near the casement,she wrote in pencil on a soiled scrap of paper the following words:--
"Diana would, perhaps, have been at the usual meeting place to-day, inspite of the weather, had she not been compelled to visit a poor womanin a contrary direction. Upon the same business, she will have to callto-morrow at the house of a man called Daumon."
She folded the note and said,--
"This letter must be taken at once to M. Norbert de Champdoce. Who willcarry it?"
Francoise had made a smock frock for one of the farm servants atChampdoce, and the delivery of it formed a good excuse for going up tothe Chateau, and she willingly undertook the errand.
The next day, in the midst of a heavy shower of rain, Norbert made hisappearance at Daumon's office, saying, as a pretext for his visit, thathe had exhausted his stock of money, and required a fresh supply. He toowas feeling very unhappy, for he feared that this father might entertainmatrimonial designs for him which would be utterly opposed to hispassion for Mademoiselle de Laurebourg.
Had not the inexorable old man once said, "You will marry a woman ofwealth?" But in the event of this matter being brought up, Norbert sworethat he would no longer be obedient, but would resist to the last; andhe calculated on receiving assistance from Daumon. He was on the pointof referring to this matter, when a carriage drew up at the door of thecottage, and Mademoiselle de Laurebourg descended from it. Daumon atonce saw how matters stood, and wasted no time in addressing Diana.
"The sheriff will stop proceedings," said he. "I can show you his letterto that effect."
He turned away, and searched as diligently for the letter as if it hadexisted anywhere except in his own imagination.
"Dear me," said he at length. "I cannot find it. I must have left it inthe other room. I have so much to do, that really there are times whenI forget everything. I must find it, however. Excuse me, I will be backimmediately."
His sudden departure from the room had been a mere matter ofcalculation; for, guessing that an assignation had been planned,he thought that he might know what took place at it by a littleeavesdropping. He therefore applied first his ear and then his eye tothe keyhole, and by these means acquired all the information he desired.
A moment of privacy with the object of his affections seemed to Norbertan inestimable boon. When Diana had first entered, he was horrified atthe terrible alteration that had taken place in the expression of herface. He seized her hand, which she made no effort to withdraw, andgazed fixedly into her eyes.
"Tell me," murmured he in accents of love and tenderness, "what it isthat has gone wrong."
Diana sighed, then a tear coursed slowly down her cheek. Norbert was inthe deepest despair at these signs of grief.
"Great heavens!" cried he. "Will you not trust me? Am not I your truestand most devoted friend?"
At first she refused to answer him, but at length she yielded tohis entreaties, and confessed that the evening before her father hadinformed her that a young man had sought her hand in marriage, and onewho was a perfectly eligible suitor.
Norbert listened to this avowal, trembling from head to foot, with asudden access of jealousy.
"And did you make no objections?" asked he.
"How could I?" retorted she. "What can a girl do in opposition to thewill of all her family, when she has to choose between the alternativethat she loathes, or a life-long seclusion in a convent?"
Daumon shook with laughter, as he kept his ear closely to the keyhole.
"Good business," muttered he. "Not so bad. Here's a little girl from aconvent. She has a clever brain and a glib tongue, and under my tuitionwould be a perfect wonder. If this country booby does not make an opendeclaration at once, I wonder what her next move will be?"
"And you hesitated," said Norbert reproachfully. "Remember you mayescape from the walls of the convent, but not from the bonds of anill-assorted marriage."
Diana, who looked more beautiful than ever in her despair, wrung herhands.
"What reason can I give to my father for declining this offer?" saidshe. "Every one knows that I am almost portionless, and that I amsacrificed to my brother, immolated upon the altar erected before thecruel idol of family pride; and how dare I refuse a suitable offer whenone is made for my hand?"
"Have you forgotten me?" cried Norbert. "Have you no love for me?
"Ah, my poor friend, you are no more free than I am."
"Then you look on me as a mere weak boy?" asked he, biting his lips.
"Your father is very powerful," answered she in tones of the deepestresignation; "his determination is inflexible, and his will inexorable.You are completely in his power."
"What do I car
e for my father?" cried the young man fiercely. "Am notI a Champdoce too? Woe be to any one, father or stranger, who comesbetween me and the woman I love devotedly; for I do love you, Diana, andno mortal man shall take you from me."
He clasped Diana to his breast, and pressed a loving kiss upon her lips.
"Aha," muttered Daumon, who had lost nothing from his post of espial,"this is worth fifty thousand francs at least to me."
For a moment Diana remained clasped in her lover's embrace, and then,with a faint cry, released herself from him. She then felt that sheloved him, and his kiss and caresses sent a thrill like liquid firethrough her veins. She was half pleased and half terrified. She fearedhim, but she feared herself more.
"What, Diana! Would you refuse me?" asked he, after a moment's pause."Do you refuse me, when I implore you to be my wife, and to share myname with me? Will you not be the Duchess of Champdoce?"
Diana only replied with a glance; but if her eyes spoke plainly, thatlook said "Yes."
"Why, then," returned Norbert, "should we alarm ourselves with emptyphantoms? Do you not trust me? My father may certainly oppose my plans,but before long I shall escape from his tyrannical sway, for I shall beof age."
"Ah, Norbert," returned she sadly, "you are feeding upon vain hopes.You must be twenty-five years of age before you can marry and give theshelter of your name to the woman whom you have chosen for your wife."
This was exactly the explanation for which Daumon had been waiting.
"Good again, my young lady," cried he. "And so this is why she camehere. There is some credit in giving a lesson to so apt a pupil."
"It is impossible," cried Norbert, violently agitated; "such aniniquitous thing cannot be."
"You are mistaken," answered Diana calmly. "Unfortunately I am tellingyou exactly how matters stand. The law clearly fixes the ageat twenty-five. During all this time will you remember that abroken-hearted girl--"
"Why talk to me of law? When I am of age, I shall have plenty of money,"broke in Norbert; "and do you think that I will tamely submit to myfather's oppression? No, I will wrest his consent from him."
During this conversation the Counsellor was carefully removing the dustfrom the knees of his trousers.
"I will pop in suddenly," thought he, "and catch a word or two whichwill do away with the necessity of all lengthy explanations."
He suited the action to the word, and appeared suddenly before thelovers. He was not at all disconcerted at the effect his entranceproduced upon them, and remarked placidly, "I could not find thesheriff's letter, but I assure you that Widow Rouleau's matter shall bespeedily and satisfactorily arranged."
Diana and Norbert exchanged glances of annoyance at finding their secretat the mercy of such a man. This evident distrust appeared to woundDaumon deeply.
"You have a perfect right," remarked he dejectedly, "to say, 'Mind yourown business;' but the fact is, that I hate all kinds of injustice somuch that I always take the side of the weakest, and so, when I come inand find you deploring your troubles, I say to myself, 'Doubtless hereare two young people made for each other.'"
"You forget yourself," broke in Diana haughtily.
"I beg your pardon," stammered Daumon. "I am but a poor peasant, andsometimes I speak out too plainly. I meant no harm, and I only hope thatyou will forgive me."
Daumon looked at Diana; and as she made no reply, he went on: "'Well,'says I to myself, 'here are two young folks that have fallen inlove, and have every right to do so, and yet they are kept apart byunreasonable and cruel-minded parents. They are young and know nothingof the law, and without help they would most certainly get into amuddle. Now, suppose I take their matter in hand, knowing the lawthoroughly as I do, and being up to its weak as well as its strongpoints.'"
He spoke on in this strain for some minutes, and did not notice thatthey had withdrawn a little apart, and were whispering to each other.
"Why should we not trust him?" asked Norbert. "He has plenty ofexperience."
"He would betray us; he would do anything for money."
"That is all the better for us then; for if we promise him a handsomesum, he will not say a word of what has passed to-day."
"Do as you think best, Norbert."
Having thus gained Diana's assent, the young man turned to Daumon. "Iput every faith in you, and so does Mademoiselle de Laurebourg. You knowour exact situation. What do you advise?"
"Wait and hope," answered the Counsellor. "The slightest step takenbefore you are of age will be fatal to your prospects, but the day youare twenty-one I will undertake to show you several methods of bringingthe Duke on his knees."
Nothing could make this speech more explicit; but he was so cheerful andconfident, that when Diana left the office, she felt a fountain of freshhope well up in her heart.
This was nearly their last interview that year, for the winter came onrapidly and with increased severity, so that it was impossible for thelovers to meet out of doors, and the fear of spying eyes prevented themfrom taking advantage of Daumon's hospitality. Each day, however, thewidow's daughter, Francoise, carried a letter to Laurebourg, and broughtback a reply to Champdoce. The inhabitants of the various country houseshad fled to more genial climates, and only the Marquis de Laurebourg,who was an inveterate sportsman, still lingered; but at the first heavyfall of snow he too determined to take refuge in the magnificent housethat he owned in the town of Poitiers. Norbert had foreseen this, andhad taken his measures accordingly. Two or three times in the week hemounted his horse and rode to the town. After changing his dress, hemade haste to a certain garden wall in which there was a small door.At an agreed hour this door would gently open, and as Norbert slippedthrough he would find Diana ready to welcome him, looking morebewitching than ever. This great passion, which now enthralled his wholelife, and the certainty that his love was returned, had done away witha great deal of his bashfulness and timidity. He had resumed hisacquaintanceship with Montlouis, and had often been with him to the CafeCastille. Montlouis was only for a short time at Poitiers, for as soonas spring began he was to join the young Count de Mussidan, who hadpromised to find some employment for him. The approaching departure wasnot at all to Montlouis' taste, as he was madly in love with a younggirl who resided in the town. He told all to Norbert; and as confidencebegets confidence, he more than once accompanied the young Marquis tothe door in the garden wall of the Count de Laurebourg's town house.
April came at last. The gentry returned to their country houses, and intime the happy day arrived when Diana de Laurebourg was to return to herfather's country mansion. The lovers had now every opportunity to meet,and would exhort each other to have patience, and a week after Diana'sreturn they spent a long day together in the woods. After this deliciousday, Norbert, happy and light-hearted, returned to his father's house.
"Marquis," said the Duke, plunging at once into the topic nearest hisheart, "I have found a wife for you, and in two months you will marryher."