The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (23 page)

hearted man that he is."

" It is he." said Mme. Elizabeth.

"Are you asleep, my child ?" demanded the queen.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 149

" No, ma mere," replied Mme. Royale.

" Then pray for you know whom."

Mme. Elizabeth quietly regained her chamber, and

for some minutes during the silence of the night the soft,

Bweet voice of the youthful princess might be heard ad-

dressing her prayer to God. It was at that moment, at

a signal from Morand, the first stroke of the pick-ax

sounded in the small house at the Rue de la Corderie.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CLOUDS.

OPPOSED to the intoxication of first appearances, Mau-

rice was certainly much disappointed at the reception of

Genevieve, and reckoned upon solitude to regain the road

he had lost, or seemed to have lost, the route to her affections. But Genevieve had wisely arranged her plan, and

did not intend to allow him an opportunity for a tete-a-

tctfl, being conscious of their danger even from the hap-

piness they afforded her. Maurice anticipated the mor-

row. A kinswoman of Genevieve, no doubt previously

invited, came to call upon her, and Genevieve had retained

her. This time there was nothing to be said ; it could

not be the fault of Genevieve. When leaving, Mar"'

was requested to escort this relation to the Rue desB

St. Victor, where she resided. Maurice went away ponc-

ing, but Genevieve smiled, and he construed this smile

into a promise.

Alas ! Maurice deceived himself. The next day, the

2d of June, that terrible day that witnessed the downfall

of the Girondins, Maurice dismissed his friend Louis, who

absolutely wished to carry him off to the Convention, and

that he should put everything aside, and accompany him

to visit his fair friend. The Goddess of Liberty had a

frightful rival in Genevieve. Maurice found Genevieve

in her little salon, all grace and amiability, but near her was a young femme de chamlre with the tricolored cock-150 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

ade, engaged in marking pocket-handkerchiefs in the

angle of the window ; she never left her place.

Maurice knit his brows, and Genevieve, perceiving he

was not in the best temper possible, redoubled her assi-

duities ; but since her amiability was not carried so far as to dismiss the young official, he impatiently left an hour

earlier than usual. This might have happened by chance,

perhaps. Maurice grew patient. The evening, besides,

from other causes, was so fearful, that long as it was since he had interested himself in politics, the report reached

even him. It required nothing less than the downfall of

a party who had reigned in France for ten months to

withdraw his attention from his all-engrossing passion for

Genevieve. The next day witnessed the same manage-

ment on the part of Genevieve, and Maurice, having fore-

seen this, had arranged his plan. So, ten minutes after

his arrival, seeing that the young woman, having finished

marking a dozen pocket-handkerchiefs, commenced six

dozen of table-napkins, Maurice, we say, drew out his

watch, rose, bowed to Genevieve, and went out without

saying one word. Still more, as he left, he did not even

once look back. Genevieve, who had risen to watch him

across the garden, remained an instant speechless, pale,

and trembling, then dropped into her chair, thunder-

struck at the effect of her diplomacy. At this moment

Dixmer entered.

" Maurice gone ?" said he, with astonishment.

"Yes," stammered Genevieve.

"But he had only just arrived."

" lie was here a quarter of an hour, or nearly so."

" Then he will return ? "

" I much doubt it."

" Leave us, Magnet," said Dixmer.

The fc'inme do rJiamlrc had assumed the name from

hatred to that of Maria, from its unfortunately being the

same as that of the Austrian. She rose at the command

of her master, and quitted the room.

" AVell, dear Genevieve," said Dixmer, "is peace restored between you and Maurice ? "

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" On the contrary, tnon ami, I think we are cooler than ever."

" And this time who is to blame ? " said Dixmer.

" Maurice, without the slightest doubt."

" Permit me to judge."

"You cannot guess," said Genevieve, blushing.

" Why he is angry ? No."

" It seems to me, it is some whim about Magnet."

" Bah ! truly ; then you must send the girl away. I

will not deprive myself of a friend like Maurice for the

sake of a, femme de chambre."

"Oh!" said Geuevieve, "he is not, I think, so angry as to require her to be sent away ; it will suffice

to "

"What?"

" To exile her from my chamber."

" And Maurice is right," said Dixmer ; "it is you he comes to visit, and not Magnet ; it is therefore quite

unnecessary that she should be present."

" But, my dear Dixmer," replied she, regarding her husband with astonishment.

" Genevieve," replied Dixmer, "I hoped to have found in you an ally who would render more easy the task imposed upon me, and find, on the contrary, that your fears

redouble our dangers and difficulties. Four days since,

I thought all was arranged between us, and now all must

commence over again. Have I not told you that 1 confide

in you, in your honor ? have I not told you that it is pos-

itively necessary that Maurice should become our friend,

more intimately than before, but less suspicious than

ever? Oh, -won Dicu! these women are an everlasting

obstacle to our projects."

" But, inon Diev ! is there no other way ? I have told you before, that for all our sakes it would be better if

Monsieur Maurice returned here no more."

" Yes, for our sakes, perhaps, but for the saKe of those far above us, those for whom we have promised to saeri-fi'-e our lives, fortune, and happiness, it is necessary that this young man should return. Are you aware they be-152 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

gin to suspect Turgy, and talk of placing another servant

near the queen ? "

" Well, I will send away Magnet."

" Mon Dieu ! Genevieve," said Dixmer, with a movement of impatience very unusual with him, " why do you speak to me thus ? why stifle the ardor of my ideas by

your own ? why strive to create difficulties where too

many already exist ? Genevieve, act like an honorable,

devoted woman, act as you feel you ought to act. I tell

you, to-morrow I go out to-morrow I take Morand's

place as engineer. I shall not dine with you, but he will ; he has something to ask Maurice, and I will explain to

you what it is. What he has to request you may imagine,

Genevieve, is a thing of vital import ; it is not only the

goal to which we march, but the way leading to it. It is

the last hope of that devoted, noble-minded man, our pro-

tector, to whom we are bound to dedicate our lives."

" And for whom I will freely give mine," cried Genevieve, with enthusiasm.

"Well, this man, Genevieve, I cannot tell why, as you

must have seen, is not loved by Maurice, by whom, above

all things, it is necessary he should be respected. In

short, from the bad temper in which you have put

Maurice to-day, he may perhaps refuse Morand that which

it is so imperative we should obtain at any price. Will

you now that I have told you, Genevieve, assist Morand

with all your tact and delicacy of sentiment ? "

" Oh, monsieur ! " cried Genevieve, clasping her hands and turning pale, ' let us speak no more on this subject."

" Then," said Dixmer, pressing his lips on his wife's forehead, "reflect upon it, and form your resolution."

Ami he went out.

" Oh ! mon Dieu I man Dieu I " murmured Genevieve, with anguish, "they compel me to accept this love by

violence, toward which my whole soul inclines !"

The next day, as we have already said, was Sunday.

It was customary in the family of Dixmer, as in all tho

bourgeoise families at that period, that the dinner should

be longer and more ceremonious on that day than on any

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 153

other. Since their intimacy, Maurice having received a

general invitation, never omitted to dine with them on

that day. Although they did not dine till two o'clock,

Maurice had not arrived at noon. From the manner of

their parting, Genevi^ve had almost despaired of seeing

him. In short, twelve o'clock struck, then half-past,

then one. It would be impossible to describe during this

period what passed in the heart of Genevieve. She was

at first dressed with the greatest simplicity ; then, seeing that he delayed his coming, she, with a feeling of coquetry natural to the heart of woman, had placed a

flower at her side, a flower in her hair, and still listened, her heart each moment more and more compressed. The

dinner-hour had almost arrived, and Maurice had not

appeared. About ten minutes to two, Genevieve heard

the sound of horse's steps that sound she knew so

well.

" Oh !" cried she, " his pride could not wrestle against his love. He loves me ; he loves me ! "

Maurice dismounted, and gave his horse to the gar-

dener, desiring him to remain where he was. Genevieve

saw with anxiety that the gardener did not lead the

horse to the stables. Maurice on this day looked super-

latively handsome. A splendid black coat, a white waist-

coat, breeches of chamois leather, designed for limbs

after the model of Apollo, a white cambric stock, and his

waving hair, displayed a fresh, a beaming face, formed

altogether a type of manly beauty. He entered. As we

have already said, his presence dilated the heart of Gene-

vieve, who received him joyfully.

' Ah ! " said she, holding out her hand, "you are come to dine with us, are you not ? "

" On the contrary, citoyenne," said Maurice, coldly,

" I came to ask your permission to absent myself."

"To absent yourself ?"

" Yes ; the sectional affairs claim my attention. I

feared you might wait, and would accuse me of being

wanting in politeness, therefore caine to make my ex-

cuses in person.."

154 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

Genevi^ve again felt her heart sinking within her.

"Ah, man Dieul" cried she, "and Dixmer, who does not dine at home, counted upon finding you here on hia

return, and desired me to detain you."

" Ah, then, madame, I comprehend your insistence,

it is a command of your husband ; and I not to guess all

this. I shall never cure myself of conceit."

" Maurice ! "

" It is for me, madame, to draw my inference from

your actions rather than your words ; it is for me, there-

fore, to comprehend, that if Dixmer is absent, the greater

the reason I should not remain. His absence would

surely add to your constraint."

" Why so ?" timidly inquired Genevieve.

" Because you appear, since my return, sedulously to

avoid me, because I returned for yonr sake, and yours only ; you well know, mon Dieu, that ever since my return I

have invariably found some one with you."

"Then," said Genevieve, "you are still angry, mon ami, although I endeavor to act for the best."

"No, Genevieve, you would do much better to receive

me as before, or drive me away altogether."

" Maurice," said Genevieve, tenderly, "-understand my situation, consider my anguish, and do not enact the

tyrant over me any longer."

And the young woman regarded him mournfully.

Maurice remained silent.

" What do you require, then ? " continued she.

" I require your love, Genevieve, since I now feel I

cannot live without that love."

"Maurice, have pity on me."

" Then, madame, you leave me to die."

"To die ?"

" Yi-s, to die ; or to forget."

"You could, then, forgot ?" said Genevieve, the teara rushing from her heart to her eyes.

"All, no, no," said Maurice, falling on his knees before her ; " no, Genevieve, I may die, perhaps, but forget you, never, never ! "

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 155

"And yet," replied Genevieve, with firmness, "that would be the best, Maurice, for this love is criminal."

"Have you said this to Monsieur Morand?" said

Maurice, suddenly resuming his frigidity of manner.

" Monsieur Morand is not a madman like yourself, and

has never yet compelled me to indicate to him how he

should conduct himself in the house of a friend."

" I wager," said Maurice, smiling ironically, " that if Dixmer dines out Morand is not absent. Ah, I see, this

is necessary to deter me, for while Morand is there, Gene-

vieve, forever at your side, not quitting you even for a

single moment, "continued he, contemptuously, "I should not love you, or, rather, I should not declare that I loved you."

" And I," cried Genevieve, driven to extremity by this eternal suspicion, and seizing the young man's arm with

a species of frenzy, " I swear solemnly, Maurice, and lot it be once for all, that whether you ever return here again or not, Morand has never breathed a word of love, that

he neither loves me nor ever will love me. I swear this

on my honor I swear this by the soul of my mother ! "

" Alas ! alas ! " said Maurice, " I wish I could believe you."