"Their object? oh, it is too plain!" cried Dagobert."The marshal is hasty, ardent; he has a thousand reasons to desire vengeance on the renegade.But he cannot do himself justice, and the other sort of justice fails him.Then what does he do? He endeavors to forget, he forgets.But every day there comes to him an insolent letter, to provoke and exasperate his legitimate hatred, by mockeries and insults.Devil take me! my head is not the weakest--but, at such a game, I should go mad."
"Father, such a plot would be horrible, and only worthy of hell!"
"And that is not all."
"What more?"
"The marshal has received other letters; those he has not shown me--but, after he had read the first, he remained like a man struck motionless, and murmured to himself: `They do not even respect that--oh! it is too much--too much!'--And, hiding his face in his hands he wept."
"The marshal wept!" cried the blacksmith, hardly able to believe what he heard.
"Yes," answered Dagobert, "he wept like a child."
"And what could these letters contain, father?"
"I did not venture to ask him, he appeared so miserable and dejected."
"But thus harassed and tormented incessantly, the marshal must lead a wretched life."
"And his poor little girls too! he sees them grow sadder and sadder, without being able to guess the cause.And the death of his father, killed almost in his arms! Perhaps, you will think all this enough; but, no! I am sure there is something still more painful behind.Lately, you would hardly know the marshal.He is irritable about nothing, and falls into such fits of passion, that--" After a moment's hesitation, the soldier resumed: "I way tell this to you, my poor boy.I have just been upstairs, to take the caps from his pistols."
"What, father!" cried Agricola; "you fear--"
"In the state of exasperation in which I saw him yesterday, there is everything to fear."
" What then happened?"
"Since some time, he has often long secret interviews with a gentleman, who looks like an old soldier and a worthy man.I have remarked that the gloom and agitation of the marshal are always redoubled after one of these visits.Two or three times, I have spoken to him about it; but I saw by his look, that I displeased him, and therefore I desisted.
"Well! yesterday, this gentleman came in the evening.He remained here until eleven o'clock, and his wife came to fetch him, and waited for him in a coach.After his departure, I went up to see if the marshal wanted anything.He was very pale, but calm; he thanked me, and I came down again.You know that my room is just under his.I could hear the marshal walking about as if much agitated, and soon after he seemed to be knocking down the furniture.In alarm, I once more went upstairs.He asked me, with an irritated air, what I wanted, and ordered me to leave the room.Seeing him in that way, I remained; he grew more angry, still I remained; perceiving a chair and table thrown down, I pointed to them with so sad an air that he understood me.You know that he has the best heart in the world, so, taking me by the hand, he said to me: `Forgive me for causing you this uneasiness, my good Dagobert; but just now, I lost my senses, and gave way to a burst of absurd fury; I think I should have thrown myself out of the window, had it been open.I only hope, that my poor dear girls have not heard me,' added he, as he went on tip-toe to open the door which communicates with his daughters' bedroom.When he had listened anxiously for a moment, he returned to me, and said:
"Luckily, they are asleep.'--Then I asked him what was the cause of his agitation, and if, in spite of my precautions, he had received any more anonymous letters.`No,' replied he, with a gloomy air; `but leave me, my friend.I am now better.It has done me good to see you.Good--
night, old comrade! go downstairs to bed.'--I took care not to contradict him; but, pretending to go down, I came up again, and seated myself on the top stair, listening.No doubt, to calm himself entirely, the marshal went to embrace his children, for I heard him open and shut their door.Then he returned to his room, and walked about for a long time, but with a more quiet step.At last, I heard him throw himself on his bed, and I came down about break of day.After that, all remained tranquil."
"But whatever can be the matter with him, father?"
"I do not know.When I went up to him, I was astonished at the agitation of his countenance, and the brilliancy of his eyes.He would have looked much the same, had he been delirious, or in a burning fever--so that, when I heard him say, he could have thrown himself out of the window, had it been open, I thought it more prudent to remove the caps from his pistols."
"I cannot understand it!" said Agricola."So firm, intrepid, and cool a man as the marshal, a prey to such violence!"
"I tell you that something very extraordinary is passing within him.For two days, he has not been to see his children, which is always a bad sign with him--to say nothing of the poor little angels themselves, who are miserable at the notion that they have displeased their father.They displease him! If you only knew the life they lead, dear creatures! a walk or ride with me and their companion, for I never let them go out alone, and, the rest of their time, at their studies, reading, or needlework--always together--and then to bed.Yet their duenna, who is, I think, a worthy woman, tells me that sometimes at night, she has seen them shed tears in their sleep.Poor children! they have hitherto known but little happiness," added the soldier, with a sigh.
At this moment, hearing some one walk hastily across the courtyard, Dagobert raised his eyes, and saw Marshal Simon, with pale face and bewildered air, holding in his two hands a letter, which he seemed to read with devouring anxiety.