"My dear Clotilde," said he, "I am sure when I tell you that the tongue of scandal has often been busy with your name, I am telling you nothing new.""Pooh!" answered the Viscountess. "What do I care for that?""But I always defended you. You are indiscreet--your presence here tonight shows this; but you are, after all, a true woman,--brave and true as steel.""What do you mean by this exordium, Gontran?""This, Clotilde,--I want to know if I dare venture to intrust to you a secret which involves the honor of two persons, and, perhaps, the lives of more.""Thank you, Gontran," answered she calmly. "You have formed a correct judgment of me."But here Andre felt that he must interpose, and, taking a step forward, said, "Have you the right to speak?""My dear Andre," said De Breulh, "this is a matter in which my honor is as much concerned as yours. Will you not trust me?" Then turning to the Viscountess, he added, "Tell us all you heard.""It is only something I heard from Modeste. You had hardly left the house, when the Baron de Clinchain made his appearance.""An eccentric old fellow, a friend of the Count de Mussidan's. I know him.""Just so; well, they had a stormy interview, and at the end of it, the Baron was taken ill, and it was with difficulty that he regained his carriage.""That seems curious."
"Wait a bit. After that Octave and his wife had a terrible scene together, and Modeste thinks that her mistress must have heard something, for the Count's voice rang through the house like thunder."Every word that the Viscountess uttered strengthened De Breulh's suspicions. "There is something mysterious in all this, Clotilde,"said he, "as you will say when you know the whole truth," and, without omitting a single detail, he related the whole of Sabine and Andre's love story.
Madame de Bois Arden listened attentively, sometimes thrilled with horror, and at others pleased with this tale of innocent love.
"Forgive me," said she, when her cousin had concluded; "my reproaches and accusations were equally unfounded.""Yes, yes; never mind that; but I am afraid that there is some hidden mystery which will place a fresh stumbling-block in our friend Andre's path.""Do not say that," cried Andre, in terror. "What is it?""That I cannot tell; for Mademoiselle de Mussidan's sake, I have withdrawn all my pretensions to her hand,--not to leave the field open to any other intruder, but in order that she may be your wife.""How are we to learn what has really happened?" asked the Viscountess.
"In some way or other we shall find out, if you will be our ally."Most women are pleased to busy themselves about a marriage, and the Viscountess was cheered to find herself mixed up in so romantic a drama.
"I am entirely at your beck and call," answered she. "Have you any plan?""Not yet, but I will soon. As far as Mademoiselle de Mussidan is concerned, we must act quite openly. Andre will write to her, asking for an explanation, and you shall see her to-morrow, and if she is well enough, give her his note."The proposal was a startling one, and the Viscountess did not entertain it favorably.
"No," said she, "I think that would not do at all.""Why not? However, let us leave it to Andre."Andre, thus addressed, stepped forward, and said,--"I do not think that it would be delicate to let Mademoiselle de Mussidan know that her secret is known to any one else than ourselves."The Viscountess nodded assent.
"If," continued Andre, "the Viscountess will be good enough to ask Modeste to meet me at the corner of the Avenue de Matignon; I shall be there.""A capital idea, sir," said the lady, "and I will give your message to Modeste." She broke off her speech suddenly, and uttered a pretty little shriek, as she noticed that the hands of the clock on the mantelpiece pointed to twenty to twelve. "Great heavens!" cried she, "and I am going to a ball at the Austrian Embassy, and now not even dressed." And, with a coquettish gesture, she drew her shawl around her, and ran out of the room, exclaiming as she descended the stairs, "I will call here to-morrow, Gontran, on my way to the Bois," and disappeared like lightning.
Andre and his host sat over the fire, and conversed for a long time.
It seemed strange that two men who had met that morning for the first time should now be on such intimate terms of friendship; but such was the case, for a mutual feeling of admiration and respect had sprung up in their hearts.
M. de Breulh wished to send Andre home in his carriage, but this the young man declined, and merely borrowed an overcoat to protect him from the inclemency of the weather.
"To-morrow," said he, as he made his way home, "Modeste shall tell all she knows, provided always that that charming society dame does not forget all about our existence before then."Madame de Bois Arden, however, could sometimes be really in earnest.
Upon her return from the ball she would not even go to bed, lest she should oversleep herself, and the next day Andre found Modeste waiting at the appointed spot, and learnt, to his great grief, that Sabine had not yet regained consciousness.
The family doctor betrayed no uneasiness, but expressed a wish for a consultation with another medical man. Meanwhile, the girl promised to meet Andre morning and evening in the same place, and give him such scraps of information as she had been able to pick up. For two whole days Mademoiselle de Mussidan's condition remained unchanged, and Andre spent his whole time between his own studio, the Avenue de Matignon, and M. de Breulh's, where he frequently met Madame de Bois Arden.
