"Do you think it was mere chance, that brought about the scene at the White Falcon Inn, near Leipsic?"
"Who told you of that scene?" said Dagobert in astonishment.
"Where you accepted the challenge of Morok," continued the Jesuit, without answering Dagobert's question, "and so fell into a trap, or else refused it, and were then arrested for want of papers, and thrown into prison as a vagabond, with these poor children.Now, do you know the object of this violence? It was to prevent your being here on the 13th of February."
"But the more I hear, sir," said Adrienne, "the more I am alarmed at the audacity of the Abbe d'Aigrigny, and the extent of the means he has at his command.Really," she resumed, with increasing surprise, "if your words were not entitled to absolute belief--"
"You would doubt their truth, madame?" said Dagobert."It is like me.
Bad as he is.I cannot think that this renegade had relations with a wild-beast showman as far off as Saxony; and then, how could he know that I and the children were to pass through Leipsic? It is impossible, my good man."
"In fact, sir," resumed Adrienne, "I fear that you are deceived by your dislike (a very legitimate one) of Abbe d'Aigrigny, and that you ascribe to him an almost fabulous degree of power and extent of influence."
After a moment's silence, during which Rodin looked first at Adrienne and then at Dagobert, with a kind of pity, he resumed."How could the Abbe d'Aigrigny have your cross in his possession, if he had no connection with Morok?"
"That is true, sir," said Dagobert; "joy prevented me from reflecting.
But how indeed, did my cross come into your hands?"
"By means of the Abbe d'Aigrigny's having precisely those relations with Leipsic, of which you and the young lady seem to doubt."
"But how did my cross get to Paris?"
"Tell me; you were arrested at Leipsic for want of papers--is it not so?"
"Yes; but I could never understand how my passports and money disappeared from my knapsack.I thought I must have had the misfortune to lose them."
Rodin shrugged his shoulders, and replied: "You were robbed of them at the White Falcon Inn, by Goliath, one of Morok's servants, and the latter sent the papers and the cross to the Abbe d'Aigrigny, to prove that he had succeeded in executing his orders with respect to the orphans and yourself.It was the day before yesterday, that I obtained the key of that dark machination.Cross and papers were amongst the stores of Abbe d'Aigrigny; the papers formed a considerable bundle, and he might have missed them; but, hoping to see you this morning, and knowing how a soldier of the Empire values his cross, his sacred relic, as you call it, my good friend--I did not hesitate.I put the relic into my pocket.
`After all,' said I, `it is only restitution, and my delicacy perhaps exaggerates this breach of trust.'"
"You could not have done a better action," said Adrienne; "and, for my part, because of the interest I feel for M.Dagobert--I take it as a personal favor.But, sir," after a moment's silence, she resumed with anxiety: "What terrible power must be at the command of M.d'Aigrigny, for him to have such extensive and formidable relations in a foreign country!"
"Silence!" said Rodin, in a low voice, and looking round him with an air of alarm."Silence! In heaven's name do not ask me about it!"
