Before Mademoiselle de Guerchi had recovered from her fright the commander spoke.
"As I am a gentleman,my beauty,if you were the Abbess of Montmartre,you could not be more difficult of access.I met a blackguard on the stairs who tried to stop me,and whom I was obliged to thrash soundly.Is what they told me on my return true?Are you really doing penance,and do you intend to take the veil?""Sir,"answered Angelique,with great dignity,"whatever may be my plans,I have a right to be surprised at your violence and at your intrusion at such an hour.""Before we go any farther,"said de Jars,twirling round on his heels,"allow me to present to you my nephew,the Chevalier de Moranges.""Chevalier de Moranges!"muttered Quennebert,on whose memory in that instant the name became indelibly engraven.
"A young man,"continued the commander,"who has come back with me from abroad.Good style,as you see,charming appearance.Now,you young innocent,lift up your great black eyes and kiss madame's hand;I allow it."
"Monsieur le commandeur,leave my room;begone,or I shall call----""Whom,then?Your lackeys?But I have beaten the only one you keep,as I told you,and it will be some time before he'll be in a condition to light me downstairs:'Begone,'indeed!Is that the way you receive an old friend?Pray be seated,chevalier."He approached Mademoiselle de Guerchi,and,despite her resistance,seized hold of one of her hands,and forcing her to sit down,seated himself beside her.
"That's right,my girl,"said he;"now let us talk sense.I understand that before a stranger you consider yourself obliged to appear astonished at my ways of going on.But he knows all about us,and nothing he may see or hear will surprise him.So a truce to prudery!I came back yesterday,but I could not make out your hiding-place till to-day.Now I'm not going to ask you to tell me how you have gone on in my absence.God and you alone know,and while He will tell me nothing,you would only tell me fibs,and I want to save you from that venial sin at least.But here I am,in as good spirits as ever,more in love than ever,and quite ready to resume my old habits."Meantime the lady,quite subdued by his noisy entrance and ruffianly conduct,and seeing that an assumption of dignity would only draw down on her some fresh impertinence,appeared to resign herself to her position.All this time Quennebert never took his eyes from the chevalier,who sat with his face towards the partition.His elegantly cut costume accentuated his personal advantages.His jet black hair brought into relief the whiteness of his forehead;his large dark eyes with their veined lids and silky lashes had a penetrating and peculiar expression--a mixture of audacity and weakness;his thin and somewhat pale lips were apt to curl in an ironical smile;his hands were of perfect beauty,his feet of dainty smallness,and he showed with an affectation of complaisance a well-turned leg above his ample boots,the turned down tops of which,garnished with lace,fell in irregular folds aver his ankles in the latest fashion.He did not appear to be more than eighteen years of age,and nature had denied his charming face the distinctive sign of his sex for not the slightest down was visible on his chin,though a little delicate pencilling darkened his upper lip:His slightly effeminate style of beauty,the graceful curves of his figure,his expression,sometimes coaxing,sometimes saucy,reminding one of a page,gave him the appearance of a charming young scapegrace destined to inspire sudden passions and wayward fancies.While his pretended uncle was making himself at home most unceremoniously,Quennebert remarked that the chevalier at once began to lay siege to his fair hostess,bestowing tender and love-laden glances on her behind that uncle's back.This redoubled his curiosity.
"My dear girl,"said the commander,"since I saw you last I have come into a fortune of one hundred thousand livres,neither more nor less.
One of my dear aunts took it into her head to depart this life,and her temper being crotchety and spiteful she made me her sole heir,in order to enrage those of her relatives who had nursed her in her illness.One hundred thousand livres!It's a round sum--enough to cut a great figure with for two years.If you like,we shall squander it together,capital and interest.Why do you not speak?
Has anyone else robbed me by any chance of your heart?If that were so,I should be in despair,upon my word-for the sake of the fortunate individual who had won your favour;for I will brook no rivals,I give you fair warning.""Monsieur le commandeur,"answered Angelique,"you forget,in speaking to me in that manner,I have never given you any right to control my actions.""Have we severed our connection?"
At this singular question Angelique started,but de Jars continued--"When last we parted we were on the best of terms,were we not?I know that some months have elapsed since then,but I have explained to you the reason of my absence.Before filling up the blank left by the departed we must give ourselves space to mourn.Well,was I right in my guess?Have you given me a successor?"Mademoiselle de Guerchi had hitherto succeeded in controlling her indignation,and had tried to force herself to drink the bitter cup of humiliation to the dregs;but now she could bear it no longer.
Having thrown a look expressive of her suffering at the young chevalier,who continued to ogle her with great pertinacity,she decided on bursting into tears,and in a voice broken by sobs she exclaimed that she was miserable at being treated in this manner,that she did not deserve it,and that Heaven was punishing her for her error in yielding to the entreaties of the commander.One would have sworn she was sincere and that the words came from her heart.
