If Maitre Quennebert had not witnessed the scene with Jeannin,if he had not known how frail was the virtue of the weeping damsel,he might have been affected by her touching plaint.The chevalier appeared to be deeply moved by Angelique's grief,and while his,uncle was striding up and down the room and swearing like a trooper,he gradually approached her and expressed by signs the compassion he felt.
Meantime the notary was in a strange state of mind.He had not yet made up his mind whether the whole thing was a joke arranged between de Jars and Jeannin or not,but of one thing he was quite convinced,the sympathy which Chevalier de Moranges was expressing by passionate sighs and glances was the merest hypocrisy.Had he been alone,nothing would have prevented his dashing head foremost into this imbroglio,in scorn of consequence,convinced that his appearance would be as terrible in its effect as the head of Medusa.But the presence of the widow restrained him.Why ruin his future and dry up the golden spring which had just begun to gush before his eyes,for the sake of taking part in a melodrama?Prudence and self-interest kept him in the side scenes.
The tears of the fair one and the glances of the chevalier awoke no repentance in the breast of the commander;on the contrary,he began to vent his anger in terms still more energetic.He strode up and down the oaken floor till it shook under his spurred heels;he stuck his plumed hat on the side of his head,and displayed the manners of a bully in a Spanish comedy.Suddenly he seemed to have come to a swift resolution:the expression of his face changed from rage to icy coldness,and walking up to Angelique,he said,with a composure more terrible than the wildest fury--"My rival's name?"
"You shall never learn it from me!"
"Madame,his name?"
"Never!I have borne your insults too long.I am not responsible to you for my actions.""Well,I shall learn it,in spite of you,and I know to whom to apply.Do you think you can play fast and loose with me and my love?
No,no!I used to believe in you;I turned,a deaf ear to your traducers.My mad passion for you became known;I was the jest and the butt of the town.But you have opened my eyes,and at last I see clearly on whom my vengeance ought to fall.He was formerly my friend,and I would believe nothing against him;although I was often warned,I took no notice.But now I will seek him out,and say to him,'You have stolen what was mine;you are a scoundrel!It must be your life,or mine!'And if,there is justice in heaven,I shall kill him!Well,madame,you don't ask me the name of this man!You well know whom I mean!"This threat brought home to Mademoiselle de Guerchi how imminent was her danger.At first she had thought the commander's visit might be a snare laid to test her,but the coarseness of his expressions,the cynicism of his overtures in the presence of a third person,had convinced her she was wrong.No man could have imagined that the revolting method of seduction employed could meet with success,and if the commander had desired to convict her of perfidy he would have come alone and made use of more persuasive weapons.No,he believed he still had claims on her,but even if he had,by his manner of enforcing them he had rendered them void.However,the moment he threatened to seek out a rival whose identity he designated quite clearly,and reveal to him the secret it was so necessary to her interests to keep hidden,the poor girl lost her head.She looked at de Jars with a frightened expression,and said in a trembling voice--"I don't know whom you mean."
"You don't know?Well,I shall commission the king's treasurer,Jeannin de Castille,to come here to-morrow and tell you,an hour before our duel.""Oh no!no!Promise me you will not do that!"cried she,clasping her hands.
"Adieu,madame."
"Do not leave me thus!I cannot let you go till you give me your promise!"She threw herself on her knees and clung with both her hands to de Jars'cloak,and appealing to Chevalier de Moranges,said--"You are young,monsieur;I have never done you any harm;protect me,have pity on me,help me to soften him!""Uncle,"said the chevalier in a pleading tone,"be generous,and don't drive this woman to despair.""Prayers are useless!"answered the commander.
"What do you want me to do?"said Angelique."Shall I go into a convent to atone?,I am ready to go.Shall I promise never to see him again?For God's sake,give me a little time;put off your vengeance for one single day!To-morrow evening,I swear to you,you will have nothing more to fear from me.I thought myself forgotten by you and abandoned;and how should I think otherwise?You left me without a word of farewell,you stayed away and never sent me a line!
And how do you know that I did not weep when you deserted me,leaving me to pass my days in monotonous solitude?How do you know that Idid not make every effort to find out why you were so long absent from my side?You say you had left town but how was I to know that?
Oh!promise me,if you love me,to give up this duel!Promise me not to seek that man out to-morrow!"The poor creature hoped to work wonders with her eloquence,her tears,her pleading glances.On hearing her prayer for a reprieve of twenty-four hours,swearing that after that she would never see Jeannin again,the commander and the chevalier were obliged to bite their lips to keep from laughing outright.But the former soon regained his self-possession,and while Angelique,still on her knees before him,pressed his hands to her bosom,he forced her to raise her head,and looking straight into her eyes,said--"To-morrow,madame,if not this evening,he shall know everything,and a meeting shall take place."Then pushing her away,he strode towards the door.
"Oh!how unhappy I am!"exclaimed Angelique.