"My poor child, what is the matter now?" said M.Baleinier, in a soft, wheedling tone, before he left the window where he was standing with Adrienne."Whatever happens, count upon me!"--And the physician went to seat himself between M.d'Aigrigny and M.Tripeaud.
At her aunt's insolent address, Mdlle.de Cardoville had proudly lined her head.The blood rushed to her face, and irritated at the new attacks with which she was menaced, she advanced to the table where the princess was seated, and said in an agitated voice to M.Baleinier: "I shall expect you to call on me as soon as possible, my dear doctor.You know that I wish particularly to speak with you."
Adrienne made one step towards the arm-chair, on which she had left her hat.The princess rose abruptly, and exclaimed: "What are you doing, madame?"
"I am about to retire.Your highness has expressed to me your will, and I have told you mine.It is enough."
She took her hat.Madame de Saint-Dizier, seeing her prey about to escape, hastened towards her niece, and, in defiance of all propriety, seized her violently by the arm with a convulsive grasp, and bade her, "Remain!"
"Fie, madame!" exclaimed Adrienne, with an accent of painful contempt, "have we sunk so low?"
"You wish to escape--you are afraid!" resumed Madame de Saint-Dizier, looking at her disdainfully from head to foot.
With these words "you are afraid," you could have made Adrienne de Cardoville walk into a fiery furnace.Disengaging her arm from her aunt's grasp, with a gesture full of nobleness and pride, she threw down the hat upon the chair, and returning to the table, said imperiously to the princess: "There is something even stronger than the disgust with which all this inspires me--the fear of being accused of cowardice.Go on, madame! I am listening!"
With her head raised, her color somewhat heightened, her glance half veiled by a tear of indignation, her arms folded over her bosom, which heaved in spite of herself with deep emotion, and her little foot beating convulsively on the carpet, Adrienne looked steadily at her aunt.The princess wished to infuse drop by drop, the poison with which she was swelling, and make her victim suffer as long as possible, feeling certain that she could not escape."Gentlemen," said Madame de Saint-Dizier, in a forced voice, "this has occurred: I was told that the commissary of police wished to speak with me: I went to receive this magistrate; he excused himself, with a troubled air, for the nature of the duty he had to perform.A man, against whom a warrant was out, had been seen to enter the garden-house."
Adrienne started, there could be no doubt that Agricola was meant.But she recovered her tranquillity, when she thought of the security of the hiding-place she had given him.
"The magistrate," continued the princess, "asked my consent to search the hotel and extension, to discover this man.It was his right.I begged him to commence with the garden-house, and accompanied him.
Notwithstanding the improper conduct of Mademoiselle, it never, I confess, entered my head for a moment, that she was in any way mixed up with this police business.I was deceived."
"What do you mean, madame?" cried Adrienne.
"You shall know all, madame," said the princess, with a triumphant air, "in good time.You were in rather too great a hurry just now, to show yourself so proud and satirical.Well! I accompanied the commissary in his search; we came to the summer-house; I leave you to imagine the stupor and astonishment of the magistrate, on seeing three creatures dressed up like actresses.At my request, the fact was noted in the official report; for it is well to reveal such extravagances to all whom it may concern."
"The princess acted very wisely," said Tripeaud, bowing; "it is well that the authorities should be informed of such matters."
Adrienne, too much interested in the fate of the workman to think of answering Tripeaud or the princess, listened in silence, and strove to conceal her uneasiness.
"The magistrate," resumed Madame de Saint-Dizier, "began by a severe examination of these young girls; to learn if any man had, with their knowledge, been introduced into the house; with incredible effrontery, they answered that they had seen nobody enter."
"The true-hearted, honest girls!" thought Mademoiselle de Cardoville, full of joy; "the poor workman is safe! the protection of Dr.Baleinier will do the rest."
"Fortunately," continued the princess, "one of my women, Mrs.Grivois, had accompanied me.This excellent person, remembering to have seen Mademoiselle return home at eight o'clock in the morning, remarked with much simplicity to the magistrate, that the man, whom they sought, might probably have entered by the little garden gate, left open, accidentally, by Mademoiselle."
"It would have been well, madame," said Tripeaud, "to have caused to be noted also in the report, that Mademoiselle had returned home at eight o'clock in the morning."
"I do not see the necessity for this," said the doctor, faithful to his part: "it would have been quite foreign to the search carried on by the commissary."
"But, doctor," said Tripeaud.
"But, baron," resumed M.Baleinier, in a firm voice, "that is my opinion."
"It was not mine, doctor," said the princess; "like M.Tripeaud, I considered it important to establish the fact by an entry in the report, and I saw, by the confused and troubled countenance of the magistrate, how painful it was to register the scandalous conduct of a young person placed in so high a position in society."
"Certainly, madame," said Adrienne, losing patience, "I believe your modesty to be about equal to that of this candid commissary of police;
but it seems to me, that your mutual innocence was alarmed a little too soon.You might, and ought to have reflected, that there was nothing extraordinary in my coming home at eight o'clock, if I had gone out at six."
"The excuse, though somewhat tardy, is at least cunning," said the princess, spitefully.