TREACHERY.
The Princess de Saint-Dizier, accompanied by D'Aigrigny, and followed by the servants, stopped short in the next room to that in which had remained Adrienne, Tripeaud and the doctor.
"Where is the commissary?" asked the princess of the servant, who had just before announced to her the arrival of that magistrate."
"In the blue saloon, madame."
"My compliments, and beg him to wait for me a few moments."
The man bowed and withdrew.As soon as he was gone Madame de Saint-
Dizier approached hastily M.d'Aigrigny, whose countenance, usually firm and haughty, was now pale and agitated.
"You see," cried the princess in a hurried voice, "Adrienne knows all.
What shall we do?--what?"
"I cannot tell," said the abbe, with a fixed and absent look."This disclosure is a terrible blow to us."
"Is all, then, lost?"
"There is only one means of safety," said M.d'Aigrigny;--"the doctor."
"But how?" cried the princess."So, sudden? this very day?"
"Two hours hence, it will be too late; ere then, this infernal girl will have seen Marshal Simon's daughters."
"But--Frederick!--it is impossible! M.Baleinier will never consent.I ought to have been prepared before hand as we intended, after to-day's examination."
"No matter," replied the abbe, quickly; "the doctor must try at any hazard."
"But under what pretext?"
"I will try and find one."
"Suppose you were to find a pretext, Frederick, and we could act immediately--nothing would be ready down there."
"Be satisfied: they are always ready there, by habitual foresight."
"How instruct the doctor on the instant?" resumed the princess.
"To send for him would be to rouse the suspicions of your niece," said M.
d'Aigrigny, thoughtfully; "and we must avoid that before everything."
"Of course," answered the princess; "her confidence in the doctor is one of our greatest resources."
"There is a way," said the abbe quickly; "I will write a few words in haste to Baleinier: one of your people can take the note to him, as if it came from without--from a patient dangerously ill."
"An excellent idea!" cried the princess."You are right.Here--upon this table--there is everything necessary for writing.Quick! quick--But will the doctor succeed?"
"In truth, I scarcely dare to hope it," said the marquis, sitting down at the table with repressed rage."Thanks to this examination, going beyond our hopes, which our man, hidden behind the curtain, has faithfully taken down in shorthand--thanks to the violent scenes, which would necessarily have occurred to-morrow and the day after--the doctor, by fencing himself round with all sorts of clever precautions, would have been able to act with the most complete certainty.But to ask this of him to-day, on the instant!--Herminia--it is folly to think of!"--The marquis threw down the pen which he held in his hand; then he added, in a tone of bitter and profound irritation: "At the very moment of success--to see all our hopes destroyed!--Oh, the consequences of all this are incalculable.Your niece will be the cause of the greatest mischief--oh! the greatest injury to us."
It is impossible to describe the expression of deep rage and implacable hatred with which D'Aigrigny uttered these last words.
"Frederick," cried the princess with anxiety, as she clasped her hands strongly around the abbe's, "I conjure you, do not despair!--The doctor is fertile in resources, and he is so devoted to us.Let us at least, make the attempt."
"Well--it is at least a chance," said the abbe, taking up the pen again.
"Should it come to the worst." said the princess, "and Adrienne go this evening to fetch General Simon's daughters, she may perhaps no longer find them.
"We cannot hope for that.It is impossible that Rodin's orders should have been so quickly executed.We should have been informed of it."
"It is true.Write then to the doctor; I will send you Dubois, to carry your letter.Courage, Frederick! we shall yet be too much for that ungovernable girl." Madame de Saint-Dizier added, with concentrated rage: "Oh, Adrienne! Adrienne! you shall pay dearly for your insolent sarcasms, and the anxiety you have caused us."
As she went out, the princess turned towards M.d'Aigrigny, and said to him: "Wait for me here.I will tell you the meaning of this visit of the police, and we will go in together.
The princess disappeared.D'Aigrigny dashed off a few words, with a trembling hand.