THE VISIT.
The keepers, yielding to Mdlle.de Cardoville's prayers, and, above all, to her promises of good behavior, had only left on the canvas jacket a portion of the time.Towards morning, they had allowed her to rise and dress herself, without interfering.
Adrienne was seated on the edge of her bed.The alteration in her features, her dreadful paleness, the lurid fire of fever shining in her eyes, the convulsive trembling which ever and anon shook her frame, showed already the fatal effects of this terrible night upon a susceptible and high-strung organization.At sight of Dr.Baleinier, who, with a sign, made Gervaise and her mate leave the room, Adrienne remained petrified.
She felt a kind of giddiness at the thought of the audacity of the man, who dared to present himself to her! But when the physician repeated, in the softest tone of affectionate interest: "Well, my poor child! how have we spent the night?" she pressed her hands to her burning forehead, as if in doubt whether she was awake or sleeping.Then, staring at the doctor, she half opened her lips; but they trembled so much that it was impossible for her to utter a word.Anger, indignation, contempt, and, above all, the bitter and acutely painful feeling of a generous heart, whose confidence has been basely betrayed, so overpowered Adrienne that she was unable to break the silence.
"Come, come! I see how it is," said the doctor, shaking his head sorrowfully; "you are very much displeased with me--is it not so? Well!
I expected it, my dear child."
These words, pronounced with the most hypocritical effrontery, made Adrienne start up.Her pale cheek flushed, her large eyes sparkled, she lifted proudly her beautiful head, whilst her upper lip curled slightly with a smile of disdainful bitterness; then, passing in angry silence before M.Baleinier, who retained his seat, she directed her swift and firm steps towards the door.This door, in which was a little wicket, was fastened on the outside.Adrienne turned towards the doctor, and said to him, with an imperious gesture; "Open that door for me!"
"Come, my dear Mdlle.Adrienne," said the physician, "be calm.Let us talk like good friends--for you know I am your friend." And he inhaled slowly a pinch of snuff.
"It appears, sir," said Adrienne, in a voice trembling with indignation, "I am not to leave this place to-day?"
"Alas! no.In such a state of excitement--if you knew how inflamed your face is, and your eyes so feverish, your pulse must be at least eighty to the minute--I conjure you, my dear child, not to aggravate your symptoms by this fatal agitation."
After looking fixedly at the doctor, Adrienne returned with a slow step, and again took her seat on the edge of the bed."That is right," resumed M.Baleinier: only be reasonable; and, as I said before, let us talk together like good friends."
"You say well, sir," replied Adrienne, in a collected and perfectly calm voice; "let us talk like friends.You wish to make me pass for mad--is it not so?"
"I wish, my dear child, that one day you may feel towards me as much gratitude as you now do aversion.The latter I had fully foreseen--but, however painful may be the performance of certain duties, we must resign ourselves to it."
M.Baleinier sighed, as he said this, with such a natural air of conviction, that for a moment Adrienne could not repress a movement of surprise; then, while her lip curled with a bitter laugh, she answered:
"Oh, it's very clear, you have done all this for my good?"
"Really, my dear young lady--have I ever had any other design than to be useful to you?"
"I do not know, sir, if your impudence be not still more odious than your cowardly treachery!"
"Treachery!" said M.Baleinier, shrugging his shoulders with a grieved air; "treachery, indeed! Only reflect, my poor child--do you think, if I were not acting with good faith, conscientiously, in your interest, I should return this morning to meet your indignation, for which I was fully prepared? I am the head physician of this asylum, which belongs to me--but I have two of my pupils here, doctors, like myself--and might have left them to take care of you but, no--I could not consent to it--I knew your character, your nature, your previous history, and (leaving out of the question the interest I feel for you) I can treat your case better than any one."
Adrienne had heard M.Baleinier without interrupting him; she now looked at him fixedly, and said: "Pray, sir, how much do they pay you to make me pass for mad?"
"Madame!" cried M.Baleinier, who felt stung in spite of, himself.
"You know I am rich," continued Adrienne, with over, whelming disdain; "I will double the sum that they give you.Come, sir--in the name of friendship, as you call it, let me have the pleasure of outbidding them."
"Your keepers," said M.Baleinier, recovering all his coolness, "have informed me, in their report of the night's proceedings, that you made similar propositions to them."
"Pardon me, sir; I offered them what might be acceptable to poor women, without education, whom misfortune has forced to undertake a painful employment--but to you, sir a man of the world, a man of science, a man of great abilities--that is quite different--the pay must be a great deal higher.There is treachery at all prices; so do not found your refusal on the smallness of my offer to those wretched women.Tell me--how much do you want?"
"Your keepers, in their report of the night, have also spoken of threats," resumed M.Baleinier, with the same coolness; "have you any of those likewise to address me? Believe me, my poor child, you will do well to exhaust at once your attempts at corruption, and your vain threats of vengeance.We shall then come to the true state of the case."
"So you deem my threats vain!" cried Mdlle.de Cardoville, at length giving way to the full tide of her indignation, till then restrained.