Une fille du régent. English

  CHAPTER XX.

  BLOOD REVEALS ITSELF.

  When Gaston returned from the Barriere de la Conference, and left hisroom, he found La Jonquiere installed by the fireplace, and discussing abottle of wine which he had just uncorked.

  "Well, chevalier," said he, as Gaston entered, "how do you like my room?it is convenient, is it not? Sit down and taste this wine; it rivals thebest Rosseau. Do you drink Rosseau? No, they do not drink wine inBretagne; they drink cider or beer, I believe. I never could getanything worth drinking there, except brandy."

  Gaston did not reply, for he was so occupied that he had not even heardwhat La Jonquiere said. He threw himself in an easy chair, with his handin his pocket, holding Helene's first letter.

  "Where is she?" he asked himself; "this immense, unbounded Paris maykeep her from me forever. Oh! the difficulty is too great for a manwithout power or experience!"

  "Apropos," said La Jonquiere, who had followed the young man's ideaseasily, "there is a letter for you."

  "From Bretagne?" asked the chevalier, trembling.

  "No; from Paris. A beautiful writing--evidently a woman's."

  "Where is it?" cried Gaston.

  "Ask our host. When I came in he held it in his hands."

  "Give it to me," cried Gaston, rushing into the common room.

  "What does monsieur want?" asked Tapin, with his usual politeness.

  "My letter."

  "What letter?"

  "The letter you received for me."

  "Pardon, monsieur; I forgot it."

  And he gave Gaston the letter.

  "Poor imbecile!" said the false La Jonquiere, "and these idiots think ofconspiring. It is like D'Harmental; they think they can attend to loveand politics at the same time. Triple fools; if they were to go at onceto La Fillon's for the former, the latter would not be so likely tobring them to the Place de Greve."

  Gaston returned joyously, reading and re-reading Helene's letter. "Ruede Faubourg St. Antoine; a white house behind trees--poplars, I think. Icould not see the number, but it is the thirty-first or thirty-secondhouse on the left side, after passing a chateau with towers, resemblinga prison."

  "Oh," cried Gaston, "I can find that; it is the Bastille."

  Dubois overheard these words.

  "Parbleu; I will take care you shall find it, if I lead you theremyself."

  Gaston looked at his watch, and finding that it wanted two hours of thetime appointed for his rendezvous in the Rue du Bac, took up his hat andwas going out.

  "What! are you going away?" asked Dubois.

  "I am obliged to do so."

  "And our appointment for eleven o'clock?"

  "It is not yet nine."

  "You do not want me?"

  "No, thank you."

  "If you are preparing an abduction, for instance, I am an adept, andmight assist you."

  "Thank you," said Gaston, reddening involuntarily, "but I am not."

  Dubois whistled an air, to show that he took the answer for what it wasworth.

  "Shall I find you here on my return?" asked Gaston.

  "I do not know; perhaps I also have to reassure some pretty creature whois interested in me; but, at any rate, at the appointed hour you willfind your yesterday's guide with the same carriage and the samecoachman."

  Gaston took a hasty leave. At the corner of the cemetery of theInnocents he took a carriage, and was driven to the Rue St. Antoine. Atthe twentieth house he alighted, ordering the driver to follow him; thenhe proceeded to examine the left side of the street. He soon foundhimself facing a high wall, over which he saw the tops of some tallpoplars; this house, he felt sure, was the one where Helene was.

  But here his difficulties were but commencing. There was no opening inthe wall, neither bell nor knocker at the door; those who came withcouriers galloping before them to strike with their silver-headed canescould dispense with a knocker. Gaston was afraid to strike with a stone,for fear of being denied admittance, he therefore ordered the coachmanto stop, and going up a narrow lane by one side of the house, heimitated the cry of the screech-owl--a signal preconcerted.

  Helene started. She recognized the cry, and it seemed to her as thoughshe were again in the Augustine convent at Clissons, with thechevalier's boat under her windows. She ran to the window; Gaston wasthere.

  Helene and he exchanged a glance; then, re-entering the room, she rang abell, which Madame Desroches had given her, so violently that twoservants and Madame Desroches herself all entered at once.

  "Go and open the door," said Helene, imperiously. "There is some one atthe door whom I expect."

  "Stop," said Madame Desroches to the valet, who was going to obey; "Iwill go myself."

  "Useless, madame. I know who it is, and I have already told you that itis a person whom I expect."

  "But mademoiselle ought not to receive this person," replied the duenna,trying to stand her ground.

  "I am no longer at the convent, madame, and I am not yet in prison,"replied Helene; "and I shall receive whom I please."

  "But, at least, I may know who this is?"

  "I see no objection. It is the same person whom I received atRambouillet."

  "M. de Livry?"

  "Yes."

  "I have positive orders not to allow this young man to see you."

  "And _I_ order you to admit him instantly."

  "Mademoiselle, you disobey your father," said Madame Desroches, halfangrily, half respectfully.

  "My father does not see through your eyes, madame."

  "Yet, who is master of your fate?"

  "I alone," cried Helene, unwilling to allow any domination.

  "Mademoiselle, I swear to you that your father--"

  "Will approve, if he be my father."

  These words, given with all the pride of an empress, cowed MadameDesroches, and she had recourse to silence.

  "Well," said Helene, "I ordered that the door should be opened; does noone obey when I command?"

  No one stirred; they waited for the orders of Madame Desroches.

  Helene smiled scornfully, and made such an imperious gesture that MadameDesroches moved from the door, and made way for her; Helene then, slowlyand with dignity, descended the staircase herself, followed by MadameDesroches, who was petrified to find such a will in a young girl justout of a convent.

  "She is a queen," said the waiting-maid to Madame Desroches; "I know Ishould have gone to open the door, if she had not done so herself."

  "Alas!" said the duenna, "they are all alike in that family."

  "Do you know the family, then?" asked the servant, astonished.

  Madame Desroches saw that she had said too much.

  "Yes," said she; "I formerly knew the marquis, her father."

  Meanwhile Helene had descended the staircase, crossed the court, andopened the door; on the step stood Gaston.

  "Come, my friend," said Helene.

  Gaston followed her, the door closed behind them, and they entered aroom on the ground-floor.

  "You called me, and I am here, Helene," said the young man; "what do youfear, what dangers threaten you?"

  "Look around you," said Helene, "and judge."

  The room in which they were was a charming boudoir, adjoining thedining-room, with which it communicated not only by folding doors, butalso by an opening almost concealed by rare and peculiar flowers. Theboudoir was hung with blue satin; over the doors were pictures by ClaudeAudran, representing the history of Venus in four tableaux, while thepanels formed other episodes of the same history, all most graceful inoutline and voluptuous in expression. This was the house which Noce, inthe innocence of his heart, had designated as fit for a prude.

  "Gaston," said Helene, "I wonder whether I should really mistrust thisman, who calls himself my father. My fears are more aroused here than atRambouillet."

  After examining the boudoir, Gaston and Helene passed into thedining-room, and then into the garden, which was ornamented with marblestatues of the same subjects as the pictur
es. As they returned, theypassed Madame Desroches, who had not lost sight of them, and who,raising her hands in a despairing manner, exclaimed:

  "Oh, mon Dieu! what would monseigneur think of this?"

  These words kindled the smoldering fire in Gaston's breast.

  "Monseigneur!" cried he; "you heard, Helene--monseigneur! We are then,as I feared, in the house of one of those great men who purchasepleasure at the expense of honor. Helene, do not allow yourself to bedeceived. At Rambouillet I foresaw danger; here I see it."

  "Mon Dieu," said Helene, "but if, by aid of his valets, this man shouldretain me here by force."

  "Do not fear, Helene; am not I here?"

  "Oh!" said Helene, "and must I renounce the sweet idea of finding afather, a preceptor, a friend."

  "And at what a moment, when you are about to be left alone in theworld," said Gaston, unconsciously betraying a part of his secret.

  "What were you saying, Gaston? What is the meaning of these words?"

  "Nothing--nothing," replied the young man; "some meaningless words whichescaped me, and to which you must not attach any consequence."

  "Gaston, you are hiding some dreadful secret from me, since you speak ofabandoning me at the moment I lose a father."

  "Helene, I will never abandon you except with life."

  "Ah," cried the young girl, "your life is in danger, and it is thus thatyou fear to abandon me. Gaston, you betray yourself; you are no longerthe Gaston of former days. You met me to-day with a constrained joy;losing me yesterday did not cause you intense sorrow: there are moreimportant prospects in your mind than in your heart. There is somethingin you--pride, or ambition, more powerful than your love. You turn pale,Gaston; your silence breaks my heart."

  "Nothing--nothing, Helene, I assure you. Is it surprising that I amtroubled to find you here, alone and defenseless, and not know how toprotect you; for doubtless this is a man of power. In Bretagne I shouldhave had friends and two hundred peasants to defend me; here I have noone."

  "Is that all, Gaston?"

  "That is, it seems to me, more than enough."

  "No, Gaston, for we will leave this house instantly."

  Gaston turned pale; Helene lowered her eyes, and placing her hand inthat of her lover--

  "Before these people who watch us," said she; "before the eyes of thiswoman, we will go away together."

  Gaston's eyes lighted up with joy; but somber thoughts quickly cloudedthem again. Helene watched this changing expression.

  "Am I not your wife, Gaston?" said she; "is not my honor yours? Let usgo."

  "But where to place you?" said Gaston.

  "Gaston," replied Helene, "I know nothing, I can do nothing; I amignorant of Paris--of the world; I only know myself and you; well, youhave opened my eyes; I distrust all except your fidelity and love."

  Gaston was in despair. Six months previous, and he would have paid withhis life the generous devotion of the courageous girl.

  "Helene, reflect," said Gaston; "if we were mistaken, and this man bereally your father!"

  "Gaston, do you forget that you first taught me to distrust him?"

  "Oh, yes, Helene, let us go," cried Gaston.

  "Where are we to go?" asked Helene; "but you need not reply--if youknow, it is sufficient."

  "Helene," said Gaston, "I will not insult you by swearing to respectyour honor; the offer which you have made to-day I have long hesitatedto make--rich, happy, sure for the present of fortune and happiness, Iwould have placed all at your feet, trusting to God for the future; butat this moment I must tell you, that you were not mistaken; from day today, from this day to the next, there is a chance of a terrible event. Imust tell you now, Helene, what I can offer you. If I succeed, a highand powerful position; but if I fail, flight, exile, it may be poverty.Do you love me enough, Helene, or rather do you love your honor enough,to brave all this and follow me?"

  "I am ready, Gaston; tell me to follow you, and I do so."

  "Well, Helene, your confidence shall not be displaced, believe me; Iwill take you to a person who will protect you, if necessary, and who,in my absence, will replace the father you thought to find, but whom youhave, on the contrary, lost a second time."

  "Who is this person, Gaston? This is not distrust," added Helene, with acharming smile, "but curiosity."

  "Some one who can refuse me nothing, Helene, whose days are dependent onmine, and who will think I demand small payment when I exact your peaceand security."

  "Still mysterious, Gaston: really, you frighten me."

  "This secret is the last, Helene; from this moment my whole life will beopen to you."

  "I thank you, Gaston."

  "And now I am at your orders, Helene."

  "Let us go then."

  Helene took the chevalier's arm, and crossed the drawing-room, where satMadame Desroches, pale with anger, and scrawling a letter, whosedestination we can guess.

  "Mon Dieu! mademoiselle, where are you going? what are you doing?"

  "I am going away from a house where my honor is threatened."

  "What!" cried the old lady, springing to her feet, "you are going awaywith your lover."

  "You are mistaken, madame," replied Helene, in an accent of dignity, "itis with my husband."

  Madame Desroches, terrified, let her hands fall by her side, powerless.

  "You shall not go, mademoiselle, even if I am forced to use violence."

  "Try, madame," said Helene, in the queenly tone which seemed natural toher.

  "Hola, Picard, Coutourier, Blanchet."

  The servants appeared.

  "The first who stops me I kill," said Gaston quietly, as he drew hissword.

  "What a will," cried Madame Desroches; "ah, Mesdemoiselles de Chartresand de Valois, I recognize you there."

  The two young people heard this exclamation, but did not understand it.

  "We are going, madame," said Helene; "do not forget to repeat, word byword, what I told you."

  And, hanging on Gaston's arm, flushed with pleasure and pride, brave asan ancient Amazon, the young girl ordered that the door should be openedfor her; the Swiss did not dare to resist. Gaston took Helene by thehand, summoned the carriage in which he had come, and seeing that he wasto be followed, he stepped toward the assailants, and said in a loudvoice:

  "Two steps further, and I tell this history aloud, and place myself andmademoiselle under the safeguard of the public honor."

  Madame Desroches believed that Gaston knew the mystery, and woulddeclare it: she therefore thought best to retire quickly, followed bythe servants.

  The intelligent driver started at a gallop.