CHAPTER X. THE EXECUTION.
Rodin entered. A rapid glance at Mdlle. de Cardoville and M. de Montbrontold him at once that he was in a dilemma. In fact, nothing could beless encouraging than the faces of Adrienne and the count. The latter,when he disliked people, exhibited his antipathy, as we have alreadysaid, by an impertinently aggressive manner, which had before nowoccasioned a good number of duels. At sight of Rodin, his countenance atonce assumed a harsh and insolent expression; resting his elbow on thechimney-piece, and conversing with Adrienne, he looked disdainfully overhis shoulder, without taking the least notice of the Jesuit's low bow.On the other hand, at sight of this man, Mdlle. de Cardoville almostfelt surprise, that she should experience no movement of anger orhatred. The brilliant flame which burned in her heart, purified it fromevery vindictive sentiment. She smiled, on the contrary; for, glancingwith gentle pride at the Indian Bacchus, and then at herself, she askedherself what two beings, so young, and fair, and free, and loving,could have to fear from this old, sordid man, with his ignoble and basecountenance, now advancing towards her with the writhing of a reptile.In a word, far from feeling anger or aversion with regard to Rodin, theyoung lady seemed full of the spirit of mocking gayety, and her largeeyes, already lighted up with happiness, now sparkled with irony andmischief. Rodin felt himself ill at ease. People of his stamp greatlyprefer violent to mocking enemies. They can encounter bursts ofrage--sometimes by falling on their knees, weeping, groaning, andbeating their breasts--sometimes by turning on their adversary, armedand implacable. But they are easily disconcerted by biting raillery; andthus it was with Rodin. He saw that between Adrienne de Cardoville andM. de Montbron, he was about to be placed in what is vulgarly termed a"regular fix."
The count opened the fire; still glancing over his shoulder, he said toRodin: "Ah! you are here, my benevolent gentleman!"
"Pray, sir, draw a little nearer," said Adrienne, with a mocking smile."Best of friends and model of philosophers--as well as declared enemy ofall fraud and falsehood--I have to pay you a thousand compliments."
"I accent anything from you, my dear young lady, even thoughundeserved," said the Jesuit, trying to smile, and thus exposing hisvile yellow teeth; "but may I be informed how I have earned thesecompliments?"
"Your penetration, sir, which is rare--" replied Adrienne.
"And your veracity, sir," said the count, "which is perhaps no lessrare--"
"In what have I exhibited my penetration, my dear young lady?" saidRodin, coldly. "In what my veracity?" added he, turning towards M. deMontbron.
"In what, sir?" said Adrienne. "Why, you have guessed a secretsurrounded by difficulties and mystery. In a word, you have known how toread the depths of a woman's heart."
"I, my dear young lady?"
"You, sir! rejoice at it, for your penetration has had the mostfortunate results."
"And your veracity has worked wonders," added the count.
"It is pleasant to do good, even without knowing it," said Rodin, stillacting on the defensive, and throwing side glances by turns on the countand Adrienne; "but will you inform me what it is that deserves thispraise--"
"Gratitude obliges me to inform you of it," said Adrienne, maliciously;"you have discovered, and told Prince Djalma, that I was passionately inlove. Well! I admire your penetration; it was true."
"You have also discovered, and told this lady, that Prince Djalmawas passionately in love," resumed the count. "Well! I admire yourpenetration, my dear sir; it was true."
Rodin looked confused, and at a loss for a reply.
"The person that I loved so passionately," said Adrienne, "was theprince."
"The person that the prince loved so passionately," resumed the count,"was this lady."
These revelations, so sudden and alarming, almost stunned Rodin; heremained mute and terrified, thinking of the future.
"Do you understand now, sir, the extent of our gratitude towardsyou?" resumed Adrienne, in a still more mocking tone. "Thanks to yoursagacity, thanks to the touching interest you take in us, the prince andI are indebted to you for the knowledge of our mutual sentiments."
The Jesuit had now gradually recovered his presence of mind, andhis apparent calmness greatly irritated M. de Montbron, who, but forAdrienne's presence, would have assumed another tone than jests.
"There is some mistake," said Rodin, "in what you have done me the honorto tell me, my dear young lady. I have never in my life spoken of thesentiments, however worthy and respectable, that you may entertain forPrince Djalma--"
"That is true," replied Adrienne; "with scrupulous and exquisitediscretion, whenever you spoke to me of the deep love felt by PrinceDjalma, you carried your reserve and delicacy so far as to inform methat it was not I whom he loved."
"And the same scruple induced you to tell the prince that Mdlle. deCardoville loved some one passionately--but that he was not the person,"added the count.
"Sir," answered Rodin, dryly, "I need hardly tell you that I have nodesire to mix myself up with amorous intrigues."
"Come! this is either pride or modesty," said the count, insolently."For your own interest, pray do not advance such things; for, if we tookyou at your word, and it became known, it might injure some of the nicelittle trades that you carry on."
"There is one at least," said Rodin, drawing himself up as proudly asM. de Montbron, "whose rude apprenticeship I shall owe to you. It is thewearisome one of listening to your discourse."
"I tell you what, my good sir!" replied the count, disdainfully: "youforce me to remind you that there are more ways than one of chastisingimpudent rogues."
"My dear count!" said Adrienne to M. de Montbron, with an air ofreproach.
With perfect coolness, Rodin replied: "I do not exactly see, sir, first,what courage is shown by threatening a poor old man like myself, and,secondly--"
"M. Rodin," said the count, interrupting the Jesuit, "first, a poor oldman like you, who does evil under the shelter of the age he dishonors,is both cowardly and wicked, and deserves a double chastisement;secondly, with regard to this question of age, I am not aware thatgamekeepers and policemen bow down respectfully to the gray coats of oldwolves, and the gray hairs of old thieves. What do you think, my goodsir?"
Still impassible, Rodin raised his flabby eyelids, fixed for hardly asecond his little reptile eye upon the count, and darted at him one ofhis rapid, cold, and piercing glances--and then the livid eyelid againcovered the dull eye of that corpse-like face.
"Not having the disadvantage of being an old wolf, and still less anold thief," said Rodin, quietly, "you will permit me, sir, to take noaccount of the pursuit of hunters and police. As for the reproaches mademe, I have a very simple method of answering--I do not say of justifyingmyself--I never justify myself--"
"You don't say!" said the count.
"Never," resumed Rodin coolly; "my acts are sufficient for that. Iwill then simply answer that seeing the deep, violent, almost fearfulimpression made by this lady on the prince--"
"Let this assurance which you give me of the prince's love," saidAdrienne interrupting Rodin with an enchanting smile, "absolve you ofall the evil you wished to do me. The sight of our happiness be youronly punishment!"
"It may be that I need neither absolution nor punishment, for, as I havealready had the honor to observe to the count, my dear young lady, thefuture will justify my acts. Yes; it was my duty to tell the prince thatyou loved another than himself, and to tell you that he loved anotherthan yourself--all in your mutual interest. That my attachment for youmay have misled me, is possible--I am not infallible; but, after my pastconduct towards you, my dear young lady, I have, perhaps, some right tobe astonished at seeing myself thus treated. This is not a complaint. IfI never justify myself, I never complain either."
"Now really, there is something heroic in all this, my good sir," saidthe count. "You do not condescend to complain or justify yourself, withregard to the evil you have done."
"The evil I have done?" said Rodin, lo
oking fixedly at the count. "Arewe playing at enigmas?"
"What, sir!" cried the count, with indignation: "is it nothing, by yourfalsehoods, to have plunged the prince into so frightful a state ofdespair, that he has twice attempted his life? Is it nothing, by similarfalsehoods, to have induced this lady to believe so cruel and completean error, that but for the resolution I have to-day taken, it might haveled to the most fatal consequences?"
"And will you do me the honor to tell me, sir, what interest I couldhave in all this despair and error, admitting even that I had wished toproduce them?"
"Some great interest no doubt," said the count, bluntly; "the moredangerous that it is concealed. You are one of those, I see, to whom thewoes of others are pleasure and profit."
"That is really too much, sir," said Rodin, bowing; "I should be quitecontented with the profit."
"Your impudent coolness will not deceive me; this is a serious matter,"said the count. "It is impossible that so perfidious a piece of roguerycan be an isolated act. Who knows but this may still be one of thefruits of Madame de Saint-Dizier's hatred for Mdlle. de Cardoville?"
Adrienne had listened to the preceding discussion with deep attention.Suddenly she started, as if struck by a sudden revelation.
After a moment's silence, she said to Rodin, without anger, withoutbitterness, but with an expression of gentle and serene calmness: "Weare told, sir, that happy love works miracles. I should be temptedto believe it; for, after some minutes' reflection, and when I recallcertain circumstances, your conduct appears to me in quite a new light."
"And what may this new perspective be, my dear young lady?"
"That you may see it from my point of view, sir, allow me to remind youof a few facts. That sewing-girl was generously devoted to me; she hadgiven me unquestionable proofs of her attachment. Her mind was equalto her noble heart; but she had an invincible dislike to you. All on asudden she disappears mysteriously from my house, and you do yourbest to cast upon her odious suspicions. M. de Montbron has a paternalaffection for me; but, as I must confess, little sympathy for you; andyou have always tried to produce a coldness between us. Finally, PrinceDjalma has a deep affection for me, and you employ the most perfidioustreachery to kill that sentiment within him. For what end do you actthus? I do not know; but certainly with some hostile design."
"It appears to me, madame," said Rodin, severely, "that you haveforgotten services performed."
"I do not deny, sir, that you took me from the house of Dr. Baleinier;but, a few days sooner or later, I must infallibly have been released byM. de Montbron."
"You are right, my dear child," said the count; "it may be that yourenemies wished to claim the merit of what must necessarily have happenedthrough the exertions of your friends."
"You are drowning, and I save you--it is all a mistake to feelgrateful," said Rodin, bitterly; "some one else would no doubt havesaved you a little later."
"The comparison is wanting in exactness," said Adrienne, with a smile;"a lunatic asylum is not a river, and though, from what I see, I thinkyou quite capable of diving, you have had no occasion to swim on thisoccasion. You merely opened a door for me, which would have opened ofitself a little later."
"Very good, my dear child!" said the count, laughing heartily atAdrienne's reply.
"I know, sir, that your care did not extend to me only. The daughtersof Marshal Simon were brought back by you; but we may imagine that theclaim of the Duke de Ligny to the possession of his daughters would nothave been in vain. You returned to an old soldier his imperial cross,which he held to be a sacred relic; it is a very touching incident.Finally, you unmasked the Abbe d'Aigrigny and Dr. Baleinier: but I hadalready made up my mind to unmask then. However, all this proves thatyou are a very clever man--"
"Oh, madame!" said Rodin, humbly.
"Full of resources and invention--"
"Oh, madame!"
"It is not my fault if, in our long interview at Dr. Baleinier's, youbetrayed that superiority of mind which struck me so forcibly, andwhich seems to embarrass you so much at present. What would you have,sir?--great minds like yours find it difficult to maintain theirincognito. Yet, as by different ways--oh! very different," added theyoung lady, maliciously, "we are tending to the same end (still keepingin view our conversation at Dr. Baleinier's), I wish, for the sake ofour future communion, as you call it, to give you a piece of advice, andspeak frankly to you."
Rodin had listened to Mdlle. de Cardoville with apparent impassibility,holding his hat under his arm, and twirling his thumbs, whilst his handswere crossed upon his waistcoat. The only external mark of the intenseagitation into which he was thrown by the calm words of Adrienne, wasthat the livid eyelids of the Jesuit, which had been hypocriticallyclosed, became gradually red, as the blood flowed into them.Nevertheless, he answered Mdlle. de Cardoville in a firm voice, and witha low bow: "Good advice and frankness are always excellent things."
"You see, sir," resumed Adrienne, with some excitement, "happy lovebestows such penetration, such energy, such courage, as enables one tolaugh at perils, to detect stratagems, and to defy hatred. Believe me,the divine light which surrounds two loving hearts will be sufficient todisperse all darkness, and reveal every snare. You see, in India--excusemy weakness, but I like to talk of India," added the young girl, witha smile of indescribable grace and meaning--"in India, when travellerssleep at night, they kindle great fires round their ajoupa (excuse thistouch of local coloring), and far as extends the luminous circle, itputs to flight by its mere brilliancy, all the impure and venomousreptiles that shun the day and live only in darkness."
"The meaning of this comparison has quite escaped me," said Rodin,continuing to twirl his thumbs, and half raising his eyelids, which weregetting redder and redder.
"I will speak more plainly," said Adrienne, with a smile. "Suppose,sir, that the last is a service which you have rendered me and theprince--for you only proceed by way of services--that, I acknowledge, isnovel and ingenious."
"Bravo, my dear child!" said the count, joyfully. "The execution will becomplete."
"Oh! this is meant for an execution?" said Rodin, still impassible.
"No, sir," answered Adrienne, with a smile; "it is a simple conversationbetween a poor young girl and an old philosopher, the friend ofhumanity. Suppose, then, that these frequent services that you haverendered to me and mine have suddenly opened my eyes; or, rather," addedthe young girl, in a serious tone, "suppose that heaven, who gives tothe mother the instinct to defend her child, has given me, along withhappiness, the instinct to preserve my happiness, and that a vaguepresentiment, by throwing light on a thousand circumstances until nowobscure, has suddenly revealed to me that, instead of being the friend,you are perhaps, the most dangerous enemy of myself and family."
"So we pass from the execution to suppositions," said Rodin, stillimmovable.
"And from suppositions, sir, if you must have it, to certainty," resumedAdrienne, with dignified firmness; "yes, now I believe that I was forawhile your dupe, and I tell you, without hate, without anger, but withregret--that it is painful to see a man of your sense and intelligencestoop to such machinations, and, after having recourse to so manydiabolical manoeuvres, finish at last by being ridiculous; for, believeme, there is nothing more ridiculous for a man like you, than tobe vanquished by a young girl, who has no weapon, no defence, noinstructor, but her love. In a word, sir, I look upon you from to-day asan implacable and dangerous enemy; for I half perceive your aim, withoutguessing by what means you will seek to accomplish it, No doubt yourfuture means will be worthy of the past. Well! in spite of all this,I do not fear you. From tomorrow, my family will be informed ofeverything, and an active, intelligent, resolute union will keep us allupon our guard, for it doubtless concerns this enormous inheritance, ofwhich they wish to deprive us. Now, what connection can there be betweenthe wrongs I reproach you with and the pecuniary end proposed? I donot at all know--but you have told me yourself that our enemies areso dangerously skillful, a
nd their craft so far-reaching, that we mustexpect all, be prepared for all. I will remember the lesson. I havepromised you frankness, sir, and now I suppose you have it."
"It would be an imprudent frankness if I were your enemy," said Rodin,still impassible; "but you also promised me some advice, my dear younglady."
"My advice will be short; do not attempt to continue the struggle,because, you see, there is something stronger than you and yours--it isa woman's resolve, defending her happiness."
Adrienne pronounced these last words with so sovereign a confidence; herbeautiful countenance shone, as is it were, with such intrepid joy,that Rodin, notwithstanding his phlegmatic audacity, was for a momentfrightened. Yet he did not appear in the least disconcerted; and, aftera moment's silence, he resumed, with an air of almost contemptuouscompassion: "My dear young lady, we may perhaps never meet again; it isprobable. Only remember one thing, which I now repeat to you: I neverjustify myself. The future will provide for that. Notwithstanding which,my dear young lady, I am your humble servant;" and he made her a lowbow.
"Count, I beg to salute you most respectfully," he added, bowing stillmore humbly to M. de Montbron; and he went out.
Hardly had Rodin left the room than Adrienne ran to her desk, andwriting a few hasty lines, sealed the note, and said to M. de Montbron:"I shall not see the prince before to-morrow--as much from superstitionof the heart as because it is necessary for my plans that this interviewshould be attended with some little solemnity. You shall know all; but Iwrite to him on the instant, for, with an enemy like M. Rodin, one mustbe prepared for all."
"You are right, my dear child; quick! the letter." Adrienne gave it tohim.
"I tell him enough," said she, "to calm his grief; and not enough todeprive me of the delicious happiness of the surprise I reserve for tomorrow."
"All this has as much sense as heart in it: I will hasten to theprince's abode, to deliver your letter. I shall not see him, for Icould not answer for myself. But come! our proposed drive, our evening'samusement, are still to hold good."
"Certainly. I have more need than ever to divert my thoughts tillto morrow. I feel, too, that the fresh air will do me good, for thisinterview with M. Rodin has warmed me a little."
"The old wretch! but we will talk further of him. I will hasten to theprince's and return with Madame de Morinval, to fetch you to the ChampsElysees."
The Count de Montbron withdrew precipitately, as joyful at his departureas he had been sad on his arrival.