de Montriveau.That letter, like the preceding ones, remained unanswered.This time she took her own measures, and bribed M.
de Montriveau's man, Auguste.And so at eight o'clock that evening she was introduced into Armand's apartment.It was not the room in which that secret scene had passed; it was entirely different.The Duchess was told that the General would not be at home that night.Had he two houses? The man would give no answer.Mme de Langeais had bought the key of the room, but not the man's whole loyalty.
When she was left alone she saw her fourteen letters lying on an old-fashioned stand, all of them uncreased and unopened.He had not read them.She sank into an easy-chair, and for a while she lost consciousness.When she came to herself, Auguste was holding vinegar for her to inhale.
"A carriage; quick!" she ordered.
The carriage came.She hastened downstairs with convulsive speed, and left orders that no one was to be admitted.For twenty-four hours she lay in bed, and would have no one near her but her woman, who brought her a cup of orange-flower water from time to time.Suzette heard her mistress moan once or twice, and caught a glimpse of tears in the brilliant eyes, now circled with dark shadows.
The next day, amid despairing tears, Mme de Langeais took her resolution.Her man of business came for an interview, and no doubt received instructions of some kind.Afterwards she sent for the Vidame de Pamiers; and while she waited, she wrote a letter to M.de Montriveau.The Vidame punctually came towards two o'clock that afternoon, to find his young cousin looking white and worn, but resigned; never had her divine loveliness been more poetic than now in the languor of her agony.
"You owe this assignation to your eighty-four years, dear cousin," she said."Ah! do not smile, I beg of you, when an unhappy woman has reached the lowest depths of wretchedness.You are a gentleman, and after the adventures of your youth you must feel some indulgence for women.""None whatever," said he.
"Indeed!"
"Everything is in their favour."
"Ah! Well, you are one of the inner family circle; possibly you will be the last relative, the last friend whose hand I shall press, so I can ask your good offices.Will you, dear Vidame, do me a service which I could not ask of my own father, nor of my uncle Grandlieu, nor of any woman? You cannot fail to understand.I beg of you to do my bidding, and then to forget what you have done, whatever may come of it.It is this: Will you take this letter and go to M.de Montriveau? will you see him yourself, give it into his hands, and ask him, as you men can ask things between yourselves--for you have a code of honour between man and man which you do not use with us, and a different way of regarding things between yourselves--ask him if he will read this letter? Not in your presence.Certain feelings men hide from each other.I give you authority to say, if you think it necessary to bring him, that it is a question of life or death for me.If he deigns----""DEIGNS!" repeated the Vidame.
"If he deigns to read it," the Duchess continued with dignity, "say one thing more.You will go to see him about five o'clock, for I know that he will dine at home today at that time.Very good.By way of answer he must come to see me.If, three hours afterwards, by eight o'clock, he does not leave his house, all will be over.The Duchesse de Langeais will have vanished from the world.I shall not be dead, dear friend, no, but no human power will ever find me again on this earth.Come and dine with me; I shall at least have one friend with me in the last agony.
Yes, dear cousin, tonight will decide my fate; and whatever happens to me, I pass through an ordeal by fire.There! not a word.I will hear nothing of the nature of comment or advice----Let us chat and laugh together," she added, holding out a hand, which he kissed."We will be like two grey-headed philosophers who have learned how to enjoy life to the last moment.I will look my best; I will be very enchanting for you.
You perhaps will be the last man to set eyes on the Duchesse de Langeais."The Vicomte bowed, took the letter, and went without a word.At five o'clock he returned.His cousin had studied to please him, and she looked lovely indeed.The room was gay with flowers as if for a festivity; the dinner was exquisite.For the grey-headed Vidame the Duchess displayed all the brilliancy of her wit; she was more charming than she had ever been before.At first the Vidame tried to look on all these preparations as a young woman's jest; but now and again the attempted illusion faded, the spell of his fair cousin's charm was broken.He detected a shudder caused by some kind of sudden dread, and once she seemed to listen during a pause.
"What is the matter?" he asked.
"Hush!" she said.
At seven o'clock the Duchess left him for a few minutes.When she came back again she was dressed as her maid might have dressed for a journey.She asked her guest to be her escort, took his arm, sprang into a hackney coach, and by a quarter to eight they stood outside M.de Montriveau's door.
Armand meantime had been reading the following letter:--"MY FRIEND,--I went to your rooms for a few minutes without your knowledge; I found my letters there, and took them away.This cannot be indifference, Armand, between us; and hatred would show itself quite differently.If you love me, make an end of this cruel play, or you will kill me, and afterwards, learning how much you were loved, you might be in despair.If I have not rightly understood you, if you have no feeling towards me but aversion, which implies both contempt and disgust, then I give up all hope.A man never recovers from those feelings.You will have no regrets.Dreadful though that thought may be, it will comfort me in my long sorrow.Regrets? Oh, my Armand, may Inever know of them; if I thought that I had caused you a single regret----But, no, I will not tell you what desolation I should feel.I should be living still, and I could not be your wife; it would be too late!