"Nothing could be better than your throwing the scoundrel downstairs," said he, "and if he is not quite dead, I shall drive him from here without pity; but that you should have believed that I, Count Leminof-- Oh! it is too much, I dream-- No, you are not the Gilbert that I know, the Gilbert I love, though I conceal it from myself--"And taking him by both hands, he added:
"This man was silly enough to tell you that I was your master, and you replied to him with the Mirabeau tone: 'Go and tell your master--' My dear Gilbert, in the name of reason, I ask you to remember that the true is never the opposite of the false; it is another thing, that is all; but to which I add, that in answering as you did, you have cruelly compromised yourself.We should never contradict a fool; it is running the risk of being like him."Gilbert blushed.He did not try to amend anything, but readily changing his tactics, he said, smiling:
"I implore you, sir, not to drive this man away.I want him to stay to remind me occasionally that I am liable to lose my senses."But what were his feelings when the Count, having sent for this valet de chambre, said to him:
"You have not done this on your own responsibility--you received orders.Who gave them?"Fritz answered, stammering:
"Do please forgive me, your excellency! It was M.Stephane who, yesterday evening, made me a present of two Russian crowns on condition that every morning for a week I should say to M.Saville, 'good-morning, comrade.'"A flash of joy shone in the Count's eyes.He turned towards Gilbert, and pressing his hand, said to him:
"For this once I thank you cordially for having addressed your complaints to me.The affair is more serious than I had thought.
There is a malignant abscess there, which must be lanced once for all."This surgical comparison made Gilbert shudder; he cursed his hasty passion and his stupidity.Why had he not suspected the real culprit? Why was it necessary for him to justify the hatred which Stephane had avowed towards him?
"And how happens it, sir," resumed Count Kostia, with less of anger in his tone, "that you have an opportunity of holding secret conversations with my son in the evening? When did you enter his service? Do you not know that you are to receive neither orders, messages, nor communications of any kind from him?"Fritz, who in his heart blessed the admirable invention of lightning rods, explained as well as he could, that the evening before, in going up to his excellency's room, he had met Ivan on the staircase, going down to the grand hall to find a cap which his young master had forgotten.Apparently he had neglected to close the wicket, for Fritz, in going out through the gallery, had found Stephane, who, approaching him stealthily, had given him his little lesson in a mysterious tone, and as Ivan returned at this moment without the cap he said:
"Dost thou not see, imbecile, that it's on my head," and he drew the cap from his pocket and proudly put it on his head, while he ran to his rooms laughing.
When he had finished his story, Fritz was profuse in his protestations of repentance, servile and tearful; the Count cut him short, declaring to him, that at the request of Gilbert he consented to pardon him; but that at the first complaint brought against him, he would give him but two hours to pack.When he had gone out, M.Leminof pulled another bell which communicated with the room of Ivan, who presently appeared.
"Knowest thou, my son," said the Count to him in German, "that thou hast been very negligent for some time? Thy mind fails, thy sight is feeble.Thou art growing old, my poor friend.Thou art like an old bloodhound in his decline, without teeth and without scent, who knows neither how to hunt the prey nor how to catch it.Thou must be on the retired list.I have already thought of the office Ishall give thee in exchange....Oh! do not deceive thyself.It is in vain to shrug thy shoulders, my son; thou art wrong in believing thyself necessary.By paying well I shall easily find one who will be worth as much--"Ivan's eyes flashed.
"I do not believe you," replied he, in Russian; "you know very well that you are not amiable, but that I love you in spite of it, and when you have spent a hundred thousand roubles, you will not have secured one to replace me, whose affection for you will be worth a kopeck.""Why dost thou speak Russian?" resumed the Count."Thou knowest well that I have forbidden it.Apparently thou wishest that no one but myself may understand the sweet things which thou sayest to me.
Go and cry them upon the roof, if that will give thee pleasure; but I have never asked thee to love me.I exact only faithful service on thy part, and I answer for it that thy substitute, when his young master shall tell him 'go and find my cap, which I have left in the grand hall,' will answer him coolly: 'I am not blind, my little father, your cap is in your pocket.'"Ivan looked at his master attentively, and the expression of his face appeared to reassure him, for he began to smile.
"Meantime," said the Count, "so long as I keep thee in thy office, study to satisfy me.Go to thy room and reflect, and at the end of a quarter of an hour, bring thy little father here to me; I want to talk with him, and I will permit thee to listen, if that will give thee pleasure."As soon as Ivan had gone, Gilbert begged M.Leminof not to pursue this miserable business."I have punished Fritz," said he, "with perhaps undue severity; you yourself have rebuked and threatened him; I am satisfied.""Pardon me.In all this Fritz was but an instrument.It would not be right to allow the real culprit to go unpunished!""It is no trouble to me to pardon that culprit," exclaimed Gilbert, with an animation beyond his control, "he is so unhappy!"M.Leminof gave Gilbert a haughty and angry look.He strode through the room several times, his hands behind his back; then, with the easy tempered air of an absolute prince, who condescends to some unreasonable fancy of one of his favorites, made Gilbert sit down, and placing himself by his side:
