CHAPTER XLI. ADRIENNE AND DJALMA.
The prince had slowly approached Mdlle. de Cardoville. Notwithstandingthe impetuosity of the Oriental's passions, his uncertain and timidstep--timid, yet graceful--betrayed his profound emotion. He did notventure to lift his eyes to Adrienne's face; he had suddenly become verypale, and his finely formed hands, folded over his bosom in the attitudeof adoration, trembled violently. With head bent down, he remainedstanding at a little distance from Adrienne. This embarrassment,ridiculous in any other person, appeared touching in this prince oftwenty years of age, endowed with an almost fabulous intrepidity, and ofso heroic and generous a character, that no traveller could speak ofthe son of Kadja sing without a tribute of admiration and respect. Sweetemotion! chaste reserve! doubly interesting if we consider that theburning passions of this youth were all the more inflammable, becausethey had hitherto been held in check.
No less embarrassed than her cousin, Adrienne de Cardoville remainedseated. Like Djalma, she cast down her eyes; but the burning blush onher cheeks, the quick heaving of her virgin bosom, revealed an emotionthat she did not even attempt to hide. Notwithstanding the powers of hermind, by turns gay, graceful, and witty--notwithstanding the decision ofher proud and independent character, and her complete acquaintance withthe manners of the world--Adrienne shared Djalma's simple and enchantingawkwardness, and partook of that kind of temporary weakness, beneathwhich these two pure, ardent, and loving beings appeared sinking--as ifunable to support the boiling agitation of the senses, combined with theintoxicating excitement of the heart. And yet their eyes had not met.Each seemed to fear the first electric shock of the other's glance--thatinvincible attraction of two impassioned beings--that sacred fire, whichsuddenly kindles the blood, and lifts two mortals from earth to heaven;for it is to approach the Divinity to give one's self up with religiousfervor to the most noble and irresistible sentiment that He hasimplanted within us--the only sentiment that, in His adorable wisdom,the Dispenser of all good has vouchsafed to sanctify, by endowing itwith a spark of His own creative energy.
Djalma was the first to raise his eyes. They were moist and sparkling.The excitement of passionate love, the burning ardor of his age, so longrepressed, the intense admiration in which he held ideal beauty, wereall expressed in his look, mingled with respectful timidity, and gaveto the countenance of this youth an undefinable, irresistible character.Yes, irresistible!--for, when Adrienne encountered his glance, shetrembled in every limb, and felt herself attracted by a magnetic power.Already, her eyes were heavy with a kind of intoxicating languor, when,by a great effort of will and dignity, she succeeded in overcomingthis delicious confusion, rose from her chair, and said to Djalma ina trembling voice: "Prince, I am happy to receive you here." Then,pointing to one of the portraits suspended above her, she added, as ifintroducing him to a living person: "Prince--my mother!"
With an instinct of rare delicacy, Adrienne had thus summoned her motherto be present at her interview with Djalma. It seemed a securityfor herself and the prince, against the seductions of a firstinterview--which was likely to be all the more perilous, that they bothknew themselves madly loved that they both were free, and had only toanswer to Providence for the treasures of happiness and enjoymentwith which He had so magnificently endowed them. The prince understoodAdrienne's thoughts; so that, when the young lady pointed to theportrait, Djalma, by a spontaneous movement full of grace andsimplicity, knelt down before the picture, and said to it in a gentle,but manly voice: "I will love and revere you as my mother. And, inthought, my mother too shall be present, and stand like you, beside yourchild!"
No better answer could have been given to the feeling which inducedMdlle. de Cardoville to place herself, as it were, under the protectionof her mother. From that moment, confident in Djalma, confident inherself, the young lady felt more at her ease, and the delicious senseof happiness replaced those exciting emotions, which had at first soviolently agitated her.
Then, seating herself once more, she said to Djalma, as she pointed tothe opposite chair: "Pray take a seat, my dear cousin; and allow me tocall you so, for there is too much ceremony in the word prince; anddo you call me cousin also, for I find other names too grave. Havingsettled this point, we can talk together like old friends."
"Yes cousin," answered Djalma, blushing.
"And, as frankness is proper between friends," resumed Adrienne, "I havefirst to make you a reproach," she added, with a half-smile.
The prince had remained standing, with his arm resting on the chimneypiece, in an attitude full of grace and respect.
"Yes, cousin," continued Adrienne, "a reproach, that you will perhapsforgive me for making. I had expected you a little sooner."
"Perhaps, cousin, you may blame me for having come so soon."
"What do you mean?"
"At the moment when I left home, a man, whom I did not know, approachedmy carriage, and said to me, with such an air of sincerity that Ibelieved him: 'You are able to save the life of a person who has been asecond father to you. Marshal Simon is in great danger, and, to rescuehim, you must follow me on the instant--'"
"It was a snare," cried Adrienne, hastily. "Marshal Simon was here,scarcely an hour ago."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Djalma, joyfully, and as if he had been relievedfrom a great weight. "Then there will be nothing to sadden this happyday!"
"But, cousin," resumed Adrienne, "how came you not to suspect thisemissary?"
"Some words, which afterwards escaped from him, inspired me withdoubts," answered Djalma: "but at first I followed him, fearing themarshal might be in danger--for I know that he also has enemies."
"Now that I reflect on it, you were quite right, cousin, for some newplot against the marshal was probable enough; and the least doubt wasenough to induce you to go to him."
"I did so--even though you were waiting for me."
"It was a generous sacrifice; and my esteem for you is increased by it,if it could be increased," said Adrienne, with emotion. "But what becameof this man?"
"At my desire, he got into the carriage with me. Anxious about themarshal, and in despair at seeing the time wasted, that I was to havepassed with you, cousin, I pressed him with all sorts of questions.Several times, he replied to me with embarrassment, and then the ideastruck me that the whole might be a snare. Remembering all that they hadalready attempted, to ruin me in your opinion, I immediately changedmy course. The vexation of the man who accompanied me then because sovisible, that I ought to have had no doubt upon the subject. Still, whenI thought of Marshal Simon, I felt a kind of vague remorse, which you,cousin, have now happily set at rest."
"Those people are implacable!" said Adrienne; "but our happiness will bestronger than their hate."
After a moment's silence, she resumed, with her habitual frankness: "Mydear cousin, it is impossible for me to conceal what I have at heart.Let us talk for a few seconds of the past, which was made so painful tous, and then we will forget it forever, like an evil dream."
"I will answer you sincerely, at the risk of injuring myself," said theprince.
"How could you make up your mind to exhibit yourself in public with--?"
"With that young girl?" interrupted Djalma.
"Yes, cousin," replied Mdlle. de Cardoville, and she waited for Djalma'sanswer with anxious curiosity.
"A stranger to the customs of this country," said Djalma, withoutany embarrassment, for he spoke the truth, "with a mind weakenedwith despair, and misled by the fatal counsels of a man devoted to myenemies, I believed, even as I was told, that, by displaying beforeyou the semblance of another love, I should excite your jealousy, andthus--"
"Enough, cousin; I understand it all," said Adrienne hastily,interrupting Djalma in her turn, that she might spare him a painfulconfession. "I too must have been blinded by despair, not to haveseen through this wicked plot, especially after your rash and intrepidaction. To risk death for the sake of my bouquet!" added Adrienne,shuddering at the mere remembrance. "But one last q
uestion," sheresumed, "though I am already sure of your answer. Did you receive aletter that I wrote to you, on the morning of the day in which I saw youat the theatre?"
Djalma made no reply. A dark cloud passed over his fine countenance,and, for a second, his features assumed so menacing an expression, thatAdrienne was terrified at the effect produced by her words. But thisviolent agitation soon passed away, and Djalma's brow became once morecalm and serene.
"I have been more merciful that I thought," said the prince to Adrienne,who looked at him with astonishment. "I wished to come hither worthy ofyou, my cousin. I pardoned the man who, to serve my enemies, had givenme all those fatal counsels. The same person, I am sure, must haveintercepted your letter. Just now, at the memory of the evils he thuscaused me, I, for a moment, regretted my clemency. But then, again, Ithought of your letter of yesterday--and my anger is all gone."
"Then the sad time of fear and suspicion is over--suspicion, that mademe doubt of your sentiments, and you of mine. Oh, yes! far removed fromus be that fatal past!" cried Adrienne de Cardoville, with deep joy..
Then, as if she had relieved her heart from the last thought of sadness,she continued: "The future is all your own--the radiant future, withoutcloud or obstacle, pure in the immensity of its horizon, and extendingbeyond the reach of sight!"
It is impossible to describe the tone of enthusiastic hope whichaccompanied these words. But suddenly Adrienne's features assumed anexpression of touching melancholy, and she added, in a voice of profoundemotion: "And yet--at this hour--so many unfortunate creatures sufferpain!"
This simple touch of pity for the misfortunes of others, at themoment when the noble maiden herself attained to the highest point ofhappiness, had such an effect on Djalma, that involuntarily he fellon his knees before Adrienne, clasped his hands together, and turnedtowards her his fine countenance, with an almost daring expression.Then, hiding his face in his hands, he bowed his head without speaking asingle word. There was a moment of deep silence. Adrienne was the firstto break it, as she saw a tear steal through the slender fingers of theprince.
"My friend! what is the matter?" she exclaimed, as with a movement rapidas thought, she stooped forward, and taking hold of Djalma's hands, drewthem from before his face. That face was bathed in tears.
"You weep!" cried Mdlle. de Cardoville, so much agitated that she keptthe hands of Djalma in her own; and, unable to dry his tears, the youngHindoo allowed them to flow like so many drops of crystal over the palegold of his cheeks.
"There is not in this wide world a happiness like to mine!" said theprince, in his soft, melodious voice, and with a kind of exhaustion:"therefore do I feel great sadness, and so it should be. You give meheaven--and were I to give you the whole earth, it would be but a poorreturn. Alas! what can man do for a divinity, but humbly bless andadore? He can never hope to return the gifts bestowed: and this makeshim suffer--not in his pride--but in his heart!"
Djalma did not exaggerate. He said what he really felt: and the ratherhyperbolical form, familiar to Oriental nations, could alone express histhought. The tone of his regret was so sincere, his humility so gentleand full of simplicity, that Adrienne, also moved to tears, answered himwith an effusion of serious tenderness, "My friend, we are both atthe supreme point of happiness. Our future felicity appears to have nolimits, and yet, though derived from different sources, sad reflectionshave come to both of us. It is, you see, that there are some sorts ofhappiness, which make you dizzy with their own immensity. For a moment,the heart, the mind, the soul, are incapable of containing so muchbliss; it overflows and drowns us. Thus the flowers sometimes hang theirheads, oppressed by the too ardent rays of the sun, which is yet theirlove and life. Oh, my friend! this sadness may be great, but it alsosweet!"
As she uttered these words, the voice of Adrienne grew fainter andfainter, and her head bowed lower, as if she were indeed sinking beneaththe weight of her happiness. Djalma had remained kneeling before her,his hands in hers--so that as she thus bent forward, her ivory foreheadand golden hair touched the amber-colored brow and ebon curls of Djalma.And the sweet, silent tears of the two young lovers flowed together, andmingled as they fell on their clasped hands.
Whilst this scene was passing in Cardoville House, Agricola had gone tothe Rue de Vaugirard, to deliver a letter from Adrienne to M. Hardy.