CHAPTER XXXIV. FATHER D'AIGRIGNY'S SECRETARY.
Hardly had the magistrate and Dr. Baleinier disappeared, than Mdlle. deCardoville, whose countenance was beaming with joy, exclaimed, as shelooked at Rodin with a mixture of respect and gratitude, "At length,thanks to you, sir, I am free--free! Oh, I had never before felthow much happiness, expansion, delight, there is in that adorableword--liberty!"
Her bosom rose and fell, her rosy nostrils dilated, her vermilion lipswere half open, as if she again inhaled with rapture pure and vivifyingair.
"I have been only a few days in this horrible place," she resumed, "butI have suffered enough from my captivity to make me resolve never to leta year pass without restoring to liberty some poor prisoners for debt.This vow no doubt appears to belong a little to the Middle Ages,"added she, with a smile; "but I would fain borrow from that noble epochsomething more than its old windows and furniture. So, doubly thanks,sir!--for I take you as a partner in that project of deliverance, whichhas just (you see) unfolded itself in the midst of the happiness I oweto you, and by which you seem so much affected. Oh! let my joy speak mygratitude, and pay you for your generous aid!" exclaimed the young girlwith enthusiasm.
Mdlle. de Cardoville had truly remarked a complete transfiguration inthe countenance of Rodin. This man, lately so harsh, severe, inflexible,with regard to Dr. Baleinier, appeared now under the influence of themildest and most tender sentiments. His little, half-veiled eyes werefixed upon Adrienne with an expression of ineffable interest. Then, asif he wished to tear himself from these impressions, he said, speakingto himself, "Come, come, no weakness. Time is too precious; my missionis not fulfilled. My dear young lady," added he, addressing himself toAdrienne, "believe what I say--we will talk hereafter of gratitude--butwe have now to talk of the present so important for you and your family.Do you know what is taking place?"
Adrienne looked at the Jesuit with surprise, and said, "What is takingplace, sir?"
"Do you know the real motive of your imprisonment in this house? Do youknow what influenced the Princess de Saint-Dizier and Abbe d'Aigrigny?"
At the sound of those detested names, Mdlle. de Cardoville's face,now so full of happiness, became suddenly sad, and she answered withbitterness, "It is hatred, sir, that no doubt animated Madame deSaint-Dizier against me."
"Yes, hatred; and, moreover, the desire to rob you with impunity of animmense fortune."
"Me, sir! how?"
"You must be ignorant, my dear young lady, of the interest you had to bein the Rue Saint-Francois on the 13th February, for an inheritance?"
"I was ignorant, sir, of the date and details: but I knew by some familypapers, and thanks to an extraordinary circumstance, that one of ourancestors--"
"Had left an enormous sum to be divided between his descendants; is itnot so?"
"Yes, sir."
"But what unfortunately you did not know, my dear young lady, was thatthe heirs were all bound to be present at a certain hour on the 13thFebruary. This day and hour once past, the absent would forfeit theirclaim. Do you now understand why you have been imprisoned here, my dearyoung lady?"
"Yes, yes; I understand it," cried Mdlle. de Cardoville; "cupidity wasadded to the hatred which my aunt felt for me. All is explained. MarshalSimon's daughters, having the same right as I had have, like me, beenimprisoned."
"And yet," cried Rodin, "you and they were not the only victims."
"Who, then, are the others, sir?"
"A young East Indian."
"Prince Djalma?" said Adrienne, hastily.
"For the same reason he has been nearly poisoned with a narcotic."
"Great God!" cried the young girl, clasping her hands in horror. "It isfearful. That young prince, who was said to have so noble and generous acharacter! But I had sent to Cardoville Castle--"
"A confidential person, to fetch the prince to Paris--I know it, my dearyoung lady; but, by means of a trick, your friend was got out of theway, and the young Oriental delivered to his enemies."
"And where is he now?"
"I have only vague information on the subject. I know that he is inParis, and do not despair of finding him. I shall pursue my researcheswith an almost paternal ardor, for we cannot too much love the rarequalities of that poor king's son. What a heart, my dear young lady!what a heart! Oh, it is a heart of gold, pure and bright as the gold ofhis country!"
"We must find the prince, sir," said Adrienne with emotion; "let meentreat you to neglect nothing for that end. He is my relation--alonehere--without support--without assistance."
"Certainly," replied Rodin, with commiseration. "Poor boy!--for he isalmost a boy--eighteen or nineteen years of age--thrown into theheart of Paris, of this hell--with his fresh, ardent, half-savagepassions--with his simplicity and confidence--to what perils may he notbe exposed?"
"Well, we must first find him, sir," said Adrienne, hastily; "and thenwe will save him from these dangers. Before I was confined here, Ilearned his arrival in France, and sent a confidential person to offerhim the services of an unknown friend. I now see that this mad idea,with which I have been so much reproached, was a very sensible one. I ammore convinced of it than ever. The prince belongs to my family, andI owe him a generous hospitality. I had destined for him the lodge Ioccupied at my aunt's."
"And you, my dear young lady?"
"To-day, I shall remove to a house, which I had prepared some time ago,with the determination of quitting Madame de Saint-Dizier, and livingalone as I pleased. Then, sir, as you seem bent upon being the goodgenius of our family, be as generous with regard to Prince Djalma, asyou have been to me and Marshal Simon's daughters. I entreat you todiscover the hiding-place of this poor king's son, as you call him; keepmy secret for me, and conduct him to the house offered by the unknownfriend. Let him not disquiet himself about anything; all his wants shallbe provided for; he shall live--like a prince."
"Yes; he will indeed live like a prince, thanks to your royalmunificence. But never was such kind interest better deserved. It isenough to see (as I have seen) his fine, melancholy countenance--"
"You have seen him, then, sir?" said Adrienne, interrupting Rodin.
"Yes, my dear young lady; I was with him for about two hours. It wasquite enough to judge of him. His charming features are the mirror ofhis soul."
"And where did you see him, sir?"
"At your old Chateau de Cardoville, my dear young lady, near which hehad been shipwrecked in a storm, and whither I had gone to--" Rodinhesitated for a moment, and then, as if yielding to the frankness ofhis disposition, added: "Whither I had gone to commit a bad action--ashameful, miserable action, I must confess!"
"You, sir?--at Cardoville House--to commit a bad action?" criedAdrienne, much surprised.
"Alas! yes, my dear young lady," answered Rodin with simplicity. "In oneword, I had orders from Abbe d'Aigrigny, to place your former bailiff inthe alternative either of losing his situation or lending himself to amean action--something, in fact, that resembled spying and calumny; butthe honest, worthy man refused."
"Why, who are you, sir?" said Mdlle. de Cardoville, more and moreastonished.
"I am Rodin, lately secretary of the Abbe d'Aigrigny--a person of verylittle importance, as you see."
It is impossible to describe the accent, at once humble and ingenuous,of the Jesuit, as he pronounced these words, which he accompanied witha respectful bow. On this revelation, Mdlle. de Cardoville drew backabruptly. We have said that Adrienne had sometimes heard talk of Rodin,the humble secretary of the Abbe d'Aigrigny, as a sort of obedient andpassive machine. That was not all; the bailiff of Cardoville Manor,writing to Adrienne on the subject of Prince Djalma, had complained ofthe perfidious and dishonest propositions of Rodin. She felt, therefore,a vague suspicion, when she heard that her liberator was the man who hadplayed so odious a part. Yet this unfavorable feeling was balanced bythe sense of what she owed to Rodin, and by his frank denunciation ofAbbe d'Aigrigny before the magistrate. And then the Jesuit, by his
ownconfession, had anticipated, as it were, the reproaches that might havebeen addressed to him. Still, it was with a kind of cold reserve thatMdlle. de Cardoville resumed this dialogue, which she had commenced withas much frankness as warmth and sympathy.
Rodin perceived the impression he had made. He expected it. He was notthe least disconcerted when Mdlle. de Cardoville said to him, as shefixed upon him a piercing glance, "Ah! you are M. Rodin--secretary tothe Abbe d'Aigrigny?"
"Say ex-secretary, if you please, my dear young lady," answered theJesuit; "for you see clearly that I can never again enter the house ofthe Abbe d'Aigrigny. I have made of him an implacable enemy, and I amnow without employment--but no matter--nay, so much the better--since,at this price, the wicked are unmasked, and honest people rescued."
These words, spoken with much simplicity, and dignity, revived a feelingof pity in Adrienne's heart. She thought within herself that, after all,the poor old man spoke the truth. Abbe d'Aigrigny's hate, after thisexposure, would be inexorable, and Rodin had braved it for the sake of agenerous action.
Still Mdlle. de Cardoville answered coldly, "Since you knew, sir, thatthe propositions you were charged to make to the bailiff of Cardovillewere shameful and perfidious, how could you undertake the mission?"
"How?" replied Rodin, with a sort of painful impatience; "why, becauseI was completely under Abbe d'Aigrigny's charm, one of the mostprodigiously clever men I have ever known, and, as I only discovered theday before yesterday, one of the most prodigiously dangerous men thereis in the world. He had conquered my scruples, by persuading me thatthe End justifies the Means. I must confess that the end he seemed topropose to himself was great and beautiful; but the day before yesterdayI was cruelly undeceived. I was awakened, as it were, by a thunder-peal.Oh, my dear young lady!" added Rodin, with a sort of embarrassmentand confusion, "let us talk no more of my fatal journey to Cardoville.Though I was only an ignorant and blind instrument, I feel as ashamedand grieved at it as if I had acted for myself. It weighs upon me, itoppresses me. I entreat you, let us speak rather of yourself, and ofwhat interests you--for the soul expands with generous thoughts, even asthe breast is dilated in pure and healthful air."
Rodin had confessed his fault so spontaneously, he explained it sonaturally, he appeared to regret it so sincerely, that Adrienne,whose suspicions had no other grounds, felt her distrust a good dealdiminished.
"So," she resumed, still looking attentively at Rodin, "it was atCardoville that you saw Prince Djalma?"
"Yes, madame; and my affection for him dates from that interview.Therefore I will accomplish my task. Be satisfied, my dear young lady;like you, like Marshal Simon's daughters, the prince shall avoid beingthe victim of this detestable plot, which unhappily does not stopthere."
"And who besides, then, is threatened?"
"M. Hardy, a man full of honor and probity, who is also your relation,and interested in this inheritance, but kept away from Paris by infamoustreachery. And another heir, an unfortunate artisan, who falling into atrap cleverly baited, has been thrown into a prison for debt."
"But, sir," said Adrienne, suddenly, "for whose advantage was thisabominable plot, which really alarms me, first devised?"
"For the advantage of Abbe d'Aigrigny," answered Rodin.
"How, and by what right! Was he also an heir?"
"It would take too long to explain it to you, my dear young lady. Youwill know all one day. Only be convinced that your family has no morebitter enemy that Abbe d'Aigrigny."
"Sir," said Adrienne, giving way to one last suspicion, "I will speakfrankly to you. How can I have deserved the interest that you seem totake in me, and that you even extend to all the members of my family?"
"My dear young lady," answered Rodin, with a smile, "were I to tell youthe cause, you would only laugh at, or misapprehend me."
"Speak, I beg of you, sir. Do not mistrust me or yourself."
"Well, then, I became interested in you--devoted to you--because yourheart is generous, your mind lofty, your character independent andproud. Once attached to you, those of your race, who are indeedthemselves worthy of interest, were no longer indifferent to me. Toserve them was to serve you also."
"But, sir--admitting that you suppose me worthy of the too flatteringpraises you bestow upon me--how could you judge of my heart, my mind, mycharacter?"
"I will tell you, my dear young lady; but first I must make anotherconfession, that fills me with shame. If you were not even sowonderfully endowed, what you have suffered in this house should sufficeto command the interest of every honest man--don't you think so?"
"I do think it should, sir."
"I might thus explain the interest I feel in you. But no--I confessit--that would not have sufficed with me. Had you been only Mdlle. deCardoville--a rich, noble, beautiful young lady--I should doubtless havepitied your misfortune; but I should have said to myself, 'This pooryoung lady is certainly much to be pitied; but what can I, poor man, doin it? My only resource is my post of secretary to the Abbe d'Aigrigny,and he would be the first that must be attacked. He is all-powerful, andI am nothing. To engage in a struggle with him would be to ruin myself,without the hope of saving this unfortunate person.' But when Ilearnt what you were, my dear young lady, I revolted, in spite of myinferiority. 'No,' I said, 'a thousand times, no! So fine an intellect,so great a heart, shall not be the victims of an abominable plot. I mayperish in the struggle, but I will at least make the attempt.'"
No words can paint the mixture of delicacy, energy, and sensibility withwhich Rodin uttered these sentiments. As it often happens with peoplesingularly repulsive and ill-favored, if they can once bring you toforget their ugliness, their very deformity becomes a source of interestand commiseration, and you say to yourself, "What a pity that such amind, such a soul, should inhabit so poor a body!"--and you are touchedand softened by the contrast.
It was thus that Mdlle. de Cardoville began to look upon Rodin. He hadshown himself as simple and affectionate towards her as he had beenbrutal and insolent to Dr. Baleinier. One thing only excited the livelycuriosity of Mdlle. de Cardoville--she wished to know how Rodin hadconceived the devotion and admiration which she seemed to inspire.
"Forgive my indiscreet and obstinate curiosity, sir, but I wish toknow--"
"How you were morally revealed to me--is it not so? Oh, my dear younglady! nothing is more simple. I will explain it to you in two words.The Abbe d'Aigrigny saw in me nothing but a writing-machine, an obtuse,mute, blind instrument--"
"I thought M. d'Aigrigny had more penetration."
"And you are right, my dear young lady; he is a man of unparalleledsagacity; but I deceived him by affecting more than simplicity. Do not,therefore, think me false. No; I am proud in my manner--and my prideconsists in never appearing above my position, however subaltern it maybe! Do you know why? It is that, however haughty may be my superiors, Ican say to myself, 'They do not know my value. It is the inferiority ofmy condition, not me, that they humiliate.' By this I gain doubly--myself-love is spared, and I hate no one."
"Yes, I understand that sort of pride," said Adrienne, more and morestruck with Rodin's original turn of mind.
"But let us return to what concerns you, my dear young lady. On the eveof the 13th of February, the Abbe d'Aigrigny delivered to me a paperin shorthand, and said to me, 'Transcribe this examination; you mayadd that it is to support the decision of a family council, which hasdeclared, in accordance with the report of Dr. Baleinier, the state ofmind of Mdlle. de Cardoville to be sufficiently alarming to render itnecessary to confine her in a lunatic asylum.'"
"Yes," said Adrienne, with bitterness; "it related to a long interview,which I had with the Princess de Saint-Dizier, my aunt, and which wastaken down without my knowledge."
"Behold me, then, poring over my shorthand report, and beginning totranscribe it. At the end of the first ten lines, I was struck withstupor. I knew not if I were awake or dreaming. 'What! mad?' They mustbe themselves insane who dare assert so monstrous a p
roposition!--Moreand more interested, I continued my reading--I finished it--Oh! then,what shall I say? What I felt, my dear young lady, it is impossible toexpress. It was sympathy, delight, enthusiasm!"
"Sir," said Adrienne.
"Yes, my dear young lady, enthusiasm! Let not the words shock yourmodesty. Know that these ideas, so new, so independent, so courageouswhich you expressed to your aunt with so much brilliancy, are, withoutyour being aware of it, common to you and another person, for whom youwill one day feel the most tender and religious respect."
"Of whom do you speak, sir?" cried Mdlle. de Cardoville, more and moreinterested.
After a moment's apparent hesitation, Rodin resumed, "No, no--it isuseless now to inform you of it. All I can tell you, my dear young lady,is that, when I had finished my reading, I ran to Abbe d'Aigrigny's, toconvince him of the error into which he had fallen with regard to you.It was impossible then to find him; but yesterday morning I told himplainly what I thought. He only appeared surprised to find that I couldthink at all. He received my communications with contemptuous silence.I thought him deceived; I continued my remonstrances, but quite in vain.He ordered me to follow him to the house, where the testament of yourancestor was to be opened. I was so blind with regard to the Abbed'Aigrigny, that it required the successive arrivals of the soldier,of his son, and of Marshal Simon's father, to open my eyes thoroughly.Their indignation unveiled to me the extent of a conspiracy, plottedlong ago, and carried on with terrible ability. Then, I understood whyyou were confined here as a lunatic; why the daughters of Marshal Simonwere imprisoned in a convent. Then a thousand recollections returned tomy mind; fragments of letters and statements, which had been given meto copy or decipher, and of which I had never been able to find theexplanation, put me on the track of this odious machination. To expressthen and there the sudden horror I felt at these crimes, would have beento ruin all. I did not make this mistake. I opposed cunning to cunning;I appeared even more eager than Abbe d'Aigrigny. Had this immenseinheritance been destined for me alone, I could not have shown myselfmore grasping and merciless. Thanks to this stratagem, Abbe d'Aigrignyhad no suspicion. A providential accident having rescued the inheritancefrom his hands, he left the house in a state of profound consternation.For my part, I felt indescribable joy; for I had now the means of savingand avenging you, my dear young lady. As usual, I went yesterday eveningto my place of business. During the absence of the abbe, it was easy forme to peruse the correspondence relative to the inheritance. In this wayI was able to unite all the threads of this immense plot. Oh! then,my dear young lady, I remained, struck with horror, in presence of thediscoveries that I made, and that I never should have made under anyother circumstances."
"What discoveries, sir?"
"There are some secrets which are terrible to those who possess them. Donot ask me to explain, my dear young lady; but, in this examination, theleague formed against you and your relations, from motives of insatiablecupidity, appeared to me in all its dark audacity. Thereupon, the livelyand deep interest which I already felt for you, my dear young lady, wasaugmented greatly, and extended itself to the other innocent victims ofthis infernal conspiracy. In spite of my weakness, I determined to riskall, to unmask the Abbe d'Aigrigny. I collected the necessary proofs,to give my declaration before the magistrate the needful authority;and, this morning, I left the abbe's house without revealing to him myprojects. He might have employed some violent method to detain me; yetit would have been cowardly to attack him without warning. Once out ofhis house, I wrote to him, that I had in my hands proof enough of hiscrimes, to attack him openly in the face of day. I would accuse, and hemust defend himself. I went directly to a magistrate, and you know therest."
At this juncture, the door opened, and one of the nurses appeared, andsaid to Rodin: "Sir, the messenger that you and the magistrate sent tothe Rue Brise-Miche has just come back."
"Has he left the letter?"
"Yes, sir; and it was taken upstairs directly."
"Very well. Leave us!" The nurse went out.