Le Juif errant. English

  CHAPTER XXIX. THE OPERATION.

  We have given up the attempt to paint the countenance, attitude, andgesticulation of Rodin during the reading of this note, which seemed toruin all his most cherished hopes. Everything was failing at once, atthe moment when only superhuman trust in the success of his plans couldgive him sufficient energy to strive against mortal sickness. A single,absorbing thought had agitated him even to delirium: What progress,during his illness, had been made in this immense affair? He had firstheard a good piece of news, the death of Jacques Rennepont; but now theadvantages of this decease, which reduced the number of the heirs fromseven to six, were entirely lost. To what purpose would be this death,if the other members of the family, dispersed and persecuted with suchinfernal perseverance, were to unite and discover the enemies who hadso long aimed at them in darkness? If all those wounded hearts were toconsole, enlighten, support each other, their cause would be gained, andthe inheritance rescued from the reverend fathers. What was to be done?

  Strange power of the human will!--Rodin had one foot in the grave, hewas almost at the last gasp; his voice had failed him. And yet thatobstinate nature, so full of energy and resources, did not despair.Let but a miracle restore his health, and that firm confidence in thesuccess of his projects which has given him power to struggle againstdisease, tells him that he could yet save all--but then he must havehealth and life! Health! life! His physician does not know if he willsurvive the shock--if he can bear the pain--of a terrible operation.Health! life! and just now Rodin heard talk of the solemn funeral theyhad prepared for him. And yet--health, life, he will have them. Yes; hehas willed to live--and he has lived--why should he not live longer? Hewill live--because he has willed it.

  All that we have just written passed though Rodin's mind in a second.His features, convulsed by the mental torment he endured, must haveassumed a very strange expression, for Father d'Aigrigny and thecardinal looked at him in silent consternation. Once resolved to live,and to sustain a desperate struggle with the Rennepont family, Rodinacted in consequence. For a few moments Father d'Aigrigny and theprelate believed themselves under the influence of a dream. By an effortof unparalleled energy, and as if moved by hidden mechanism, Rodinsprang from the bed, dragging the sheet with him, and trailing it, likea shroud, behind his livid and fleshless body. The room was cold; theface of the Jesuit was bathed in sweat; his naked and bony feet lefttheir moist print upon the stones.

  "What are you doing? It is death!" cried Father d'Aigrigny, rushingtowards Rodin, to force him to lie down again.

  But the latter, extending one of his skeleton arms, as hard as iron,pushed aside Father d'Aigrigny with inconceivable vigor, considering thestate of exhaustion in which he had so long been.

  "He has the strength of a man in a fit of epilepsy," said Fatherd'Aigrigny, recovering his balance.

  With a steady step Rodin advanced to the desk on which Dr. Baleinierdaily wrote his prescriptions. Seating himself before it, the Jesuittook pen and paper, and began to write in a firm hand. His calm, slow,and sure movements had in them something of the deliberateness remarkedin somnambulists. Mute and motionless, hardly knowing whether theydreamed or not, the cardinal and Father d'Aigrigny remained staring atthe incredible coolness of Rodin, who, half-naked, continued to writewith perfect tranquillity.

  "But, father," said the Abbe d'Aigrigny, advancing towards him, "this ismadness!"

  Rodin shrugged his shoulders, stopped him with a gesture and made him asign to read what he had just written.

  The reverend father expected to see the ravings of a diseased brain; buthe took the note, whilst Rodin commenced another.

  "My lord," exclaimed Father d'Aigrigny, "read this!"

  The cardinal read the paper, and returning it to the reverend fatherwith equal amazement, added: "It is full of reason, ability, andresources. We shall thus be able to neutralize the dangerous combinationof Abbe Gabriel and Mdlle. de Cardoville, who appear to be the mostformidable leaders of the coalition."

  "It is really miraculous," said Father d'Aigrigny.

  "Oh, my dear father!" whispered the cardinal, shaking his head; "whata pity that we are the only witnesses of this scene! What an excellentMIRACLE we could have made of it! In one sense, it is another Raising ofLazarus!"

  "What an idea, my lord!" answered Father d'Aigrigny, in a low voice. "Itis perfect--and we must not give it up--"

  This innocent little plot was interrupted by Rodin, who, turning hishead, made a sign to Father d'Aigrigny to approach, and delivered to himanother sheet, with this note attached: "To be executed within an hour."

  Having rapidly perused the paper, Father d'Aigrigny exclaimed: "Right!I had not thought of that. Instead of being fatal, the correspondencebetween Agricola and M. Hardy may thus have the best results. Really,"added the reverend father in a low voice to the prelate, while Rodincontinued to write, "I am quite confounded. I read--I see--and yet I canhardly believe my eyes. Just before, exhausted and dying--and nowwith his mind as clear and penetrating as ever. Can this be one of thephenomena of somnambulism, in which the mind alone governs and sustainsthe body?"

  Suddenly the door opened, and Dr. Baleinier entered the room. At sightof Rodin, seated half-naked at the desk, with his feet upon the coldstones, the doctor exclaimed, in a tone of reproach and alarm: "But, mylord--but, father--it is murder to let the unhappy man do this!--If heis delirious from fever, he must have the strait-waistcoat, and be tieddown in bed."

  So saying. Dr. Baleinier hastily approached Rodin, and took him by thearm. Instead of finding the skin dry and chilly, as he expected, hefound it flexible, almost damp. Struck with surprise, the doctor soughtto feel the pulse of the left hand, which Rodin resigned, to him, whilsthe continued working with the right.

  "What a prodigy!" cried the doctor, as he counted Rodin's pulse; "fora week past, and even this morning, the pulse has been abrupt,intermittent, almost insensible, and now it is firm, regular--I amreally puzzled--what then has happened? I can hardly believe whatI see," added the doctor, turning towards Father d'Aigrigny and thecardinal.

  "The reverend father, who had first lost his voice, was next seized withsuch furious and violent despair caused by the receipt of bad news,"answered Father d'Aigrigny, "that we feared a moment for his life; whilenow, on the contrary, the reverend father has gained sufficient strengthto go to his desk, and write for some minutes, with a clearness ofargument and expression, which has confounded both the cardinal andmyself."

  "There is no longer any doubt of it," cried the doctor. "The violentdespair has caused a degree of emotion, which will admirably preparethe reactive crisis, that I am now almost certain of producing by theoperation."

  "You persist in the operation?" whispered Father d'Aigrigny, whilstRodin continued to write.

  "I might have hesitated this morning; but, disposed as he now is forit, I must profit by the moment of excitement, which will be followed bygreater depression."

  "Then, without the operation--" said the cardinal.

  "This fortunate and unexpected crisis will soon be over, and thereaction may kill him, my lord."

  "Have you informed him of the serious nature of the operation?"

  "Pretty nearly, my lord."

  "But it is time to bring him to the point."

  "That is what I will do, my lord," said Dr. Baleinier; and approachingRodin, who continued to write, he thus addressed him, in a firm voice:"My reverend father, do you wish to be up and well in a week?"

  Rodin nodded, full of confidence, as much as to say: "I am up already."

  "Do not deceive yourself," replied the doctor. "This crisis isexcellent, but it will not last, and if we would profit by it, we mustproceed with the operation of which I have spoken to you--or, I tell youplainly, I answer for nothing after such a shock."

  Rodin was the more struck with these words, as, half an hour ago, he hadexperienced the short duration of the improvement occasioned by Fatherd'Aigrigny's good news, and as already he felt increased oppression o
nthe chest.

  Dr. Baleinier, wishing to decide him, added: "In a word, father, willyou live or die?"

  Rodin wrote rapidly this answer, which he gave to the doctor: "To live,I would let you cut me limb from limb. I am ready for anything." And hemade a movement to rise.

  "I must tell you, reverend father, so as not to take you by surprise,"added Dr. Baleinier, "that this operation is cruelly painful."

  Rodin shrugged his shoulders and wrote with a firm hand: "Leave me myhead; you may take all the rest."

  The doctor read these words aloud, and the cardinal and Fatherd'Aigrigny looked at each other in admiration of this dauntless courage.

  "Reverend father," said Dr. Baleinier, "you must lie down."

  Rodin wrote: "Get everything ready. I have still some orders to write.Let me know when it is time."

  Then folding up a paper, which he had sealed with a wafer, Rodin gavethese words to Father d'Aigrigny: "Send this note instantly to the agentwho addressed the anonymous letters to Marshal Simon."

  "Instantly, reverend father," replied the abbe; "I will employ a suremessenger."

  "Reverend father," said Baleinier to Rodin, "since you must write, liedown in bed, and write there, during our little preparations."

  Rodin made an affirmative gesture, and rose. But already the prognosticsof the doctor were realized. The Jesuit could hardly remain standing fora second; he fell back into a chair, and looked at Dr. Baleinier withanguish, whilst his breathing became more and more difficult.

  The doctor said to him: "Do not be uneasy. But we must make haste. Leanupon me and Father d'Aigrigny."

  Aided by these two supporters, Rodin was able to regain the bed. Oncethere, he made signs that they should bring him pen, ink, and paper.Then he continued to write upon his knees, pausing from time to time, tobreathe with great difficulty.

  "Reverend father," said Baleinier to d'Aigrigny, "are you capable ofacting as one of my assistants in the operation? Have you that sort ofcourage?"

  "No," said the reverend father; "in the army I could never assist at anamputation. The sight of blood is too much for me."

  "There will be no blood," said the doctor, "but it will be worse. Pleasesend me three of our reverend fathers to assist me, and ask M. Rousseletto bring in the apparatus."

  Father d'Aigrigny went out. The prelate approached the doctor, andwhispered, pointing to Rodin: "Is he out of danger?"

  "If he stands the operation--yes, my lord."

  "Are you sure that he can stand it?"

  "To him I should say 'yes,' to you 'I hope so.'"

  "And were he to die, would there be time to administer the sacraments inpublic, with a certain pomp, which always causes some little delay?"

  "His dying may continue, my lord--a quarter of an hour."

  "It is short, but we must be satisfied with that," said the prelate.

  And, going to one of the windows, he began to tap with his fingers onthe glass, while he thought of the illumination effects, in the event ofRodin's lying in state. At this moment, Rousselet entered, with a largesquare box under his arm. He placed it on the drawers, and began toarrange his apparatus.

  "How many have you prepared?" said the doctor.

  "Six, sir."

  "Four will do, but it is well to be fully provided. The cotton is nottoo thick?"

  "Look, sir."

  "Very good."

  "And how is the reverend father?" asked the pupil.

  "Humph!" answered the doctor, in a whisper. "The chest is terriblyclogged, the respiration hissing, the voice gone--still there is achange."

  "All my fear is, sir, that the reverend father will not be able to standthe dreadful pain."

  "It is another chance; but, under the circumstances, we must risk all.Come, my dear boy, light the--taper; I hear our assistants."

  Just then Father d'Aigrigny entered the room, accompanied by the threeJesuits, who, in the morning, had walked in the garden. The two old men,with their rosy cheeks, and the young one, with the ascetic countenance,all three dressed in black, with their square caps and white bands,appeared perfectly ready to assist Dr. Baleinier in his formidableoperation.