EXCUSES.
On seeing Dagobert grasp Rodin so roughly by the collar, Mdlle.de Cardoville exclaimed in terror, as she advanced several steps towards the soldier: "In the name of Heaven, sir! what are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" echoed the soldier, harshly, without relaxing his hold on Rodin, and turning his head towards Adrienne, whom he did not know;
"I take this opportunity to squeeze the throat of one of the wretches in the band of that renegade, until he tells me where my poor children are."
"You strangle me," said the Jesuit, in a stifled voice, as he tried to escape from the soldier.
"Where are the orphans, since they are not here, and the convent door has been closed against me?" cried Dagobert, in a voice of thunder.
"Help! help!" gasped Rodin.
"Oh! it is dreadful!" said Adrienne, as, pale and trembling, she held up her clasped hands to Dagobert."Have mercy, sir! listen to me! listen to him!"
"M.Dagobert!" cried Mother Bunch, seizing with her weak hands the soldier's arm, and showing him Adrienne, "this is Mdlle.de Cardoville.
What violence in her presence! and then, you are deceived doubtless!"
At the name of Mdlle.de Cardoville, the benefactress of his son, the soldier turned round suddenly, and loosened his hold on Rodin.The latter, crimson with rage and suffocation, set about adjusting his collar and his cravat.
"I beg your pardon, madame," said Dagobert, going towards Adrienne, who was still pale with fright; "I did not known who you were, and the first impulse of anger quite carried me away."
"But what has this gentleman done to you?" said Adrienne."If you had listened to me, you would have learned "
"Excuse me if I interrupt you, madame," said the soldier to Adrienne, in a hollow voice.Then addressing himself to Rodin, who had recovered his coolness, he added: "Thank the lady, and begone!--If you remain here, I will not answer for myself."
"One word only, my dear sir," said Rodin.
"I tell you that if you remain, I will not answer for myself!" cried Dagobert, stamping his foot.
"But, for heaven's sake, tell me the cause of this anger," resumed Adrienne; "above all, do not trust to appearances.Calm yourself, and listen."
"Calm myself, madame!" cried Dagobert, in despair; "I can think only of one thing, ma dame--of the arrival of Marshal Simon--he will be in Paris to-day or to-morrow."
"Is it possible?" said Adrienne.Rodin started with surprise and joy.
"Yesterday evening," proceeded Dagobert, "I received a letter from the marshal: he has landed at Havre.For three days I have taken step after step, hoping that the orphans would be restored to me, as the machinations of those wretches have failed." He pointed to Rodin with a new gesture of impatience."Well! it is not so.They are conspiring some new infamy.I am prepared for anything."
"But, sir," said Rodin advancing, "permit me--"
"Begone!" cried Dagobert, whose irritation and anxiety redoubled, as he thought how at any moment Marshal Simon might arrive in Paris."Begone!
Were it not for this lady, I would at least be revenged on some one."
Rodin made a nod of intelligence to Adrienne, whom he approached prudently, and, pointing to Dagobert with a gesture of affectionate commiseration, he said to the latter: "I will leave you, sir, and the more willingly, as I was about to withdraw when you entered." Then, coming still closer to Mdlle.de Cardoville, the Jesuit whispered to her, "Poor soldier! he is beside himself with grief, and would be incapable of hearing me.Explain it all to him, my dear young lady; he will be nicely caught," added he, with a cunning air."But in the meantime," resumed Rodin, feeling in the side-pocket of his great-coat and taking out a small parcel, "let me beg you to give him this, my dear young lady.It is my revenge, and a very good one."
And while Adrienne, holding the little parcel in her hand looked at the Jesuit with astonishment, the latter laying his forefinger upon his lip, as if recommending silence, drew backward on tiptoe to the door, and went out after again pointing to Dagobert with a gesture of pity; while the soldier, in sullen dejection, with his head drooping, and his arms crossed upon his bosom, remained deaf to the sewing-girl's earnest consolations.When Rodin had left the room, Adrienne, approaching the soldier, said to him, in her mild voice, with an expression of deep interest, "Your sudden entry prevented my asking you a question that greatly concerns me.How is your wound?"
"Thank you, madame," said Dagobert, starting from his painful lethargy, "it is of no consequence, but I have not time to think of it.I am sorry to have been so rough in your presence, and to have driven away that wretch; but 'tis more than I could master.At sight of those people, my blood is all up."
"And yet, believe me, you have been too hasty in your judgment.The person who was just now here--"
"Too hasty, madame! I do not see him to-day for the first time.He was with that renegade the Abbe d'Aigrigny--"
"No doubt!--and yet he is an honest and excellent man."
"He!" cried Dagobert.
"Yes; for at this moment he is busy about only one thing restoring to you those dear children!"
"He!" repeated Dagobert, as if he could not believe what he heard."He restore me my children?"
"Yes; and sooner, perhaps, than you think for."
"Madame," said Dagobert, abruptly, "he deceives you.You are the dupe of that old rascal."
"No," said Adrienne, shaking her head, with a smile."I have proofs of his good faith.First of all, it is he who delivers me from this house."
"Is it true?" said Dagobert, quite confounded.
"Very true; and here is, perhaps, something that will reconcile you to him," said Adrienne, as she delivered the small parcel which Rodin had given her as he went out."Not wishing to exasperate you by his presence, he said to me: `Give this to that brave soldier; it is my revenge.'"