The Maid of Honour: A Tale of the Dark Days of France. Vol. 2 (of 3)

by Lewis Wingfield

  CHAPTER XV.

  THE SITUATION CHANGES.

  Gabrielle's injunctions to Monsieur Galland were concise. The marechalmust not be told too much. The good solicitor must keep to himself herworn and haggard aspect. Nor must he relate aught of the eloquentmeeting between the mother and her dear ones. The children looked onher with a vague alarm as on one of whom they had learned to besuspicious from hearing unpleasant things. He had been obliged to wipeaway another tear--it was a wonder that there remained so much liquidin one so dry and shrunken--ere he stole from the room on tiptoe,leaving the yearning heart to recover its lost sway.

  And now began for Madame de Gange a lull of peace, and as her troubledsoul regained its equilibrium she marvelled that she should have beenpatient for so long. The dear father's mandate had been a wand ofharlequin transforming with a touch the Cave of the Black Gnome intothe Calm Retreat of the Serene Spirit. For several months nothingoccurred that was of import to the recluses. By a seeming paradox, theremnants of the affection she had once borne her husband beingdestroyed, she found that she could get on better with him. There wereno more throes of jealousy, no irritating scenes, no midnight weepingswith the morning reproach of swollen eyelids--simply because she hadrenounced a desire for the moon, as he had so often wished she might.That he should shut himself up in his study and pore over the secretsof science, avoiding his better half, was no longer a cause for grief;she cared no more how this time was passed. Had she not got back thestolen treasures in whose interest alone she prayed for a span oflife? For many weary months she had been bereaved, and it was anintense delight--a dazzling peep into heaven--to have them once againall to herself with no shadow to fall between. What a joy to mark howthe minds of Victor and Camille had expanded in the interval; how theyoung plants had shot up, putting out fresh leaves of tender green andfragrant blossoms of rich intelligence. The mother thanked God that,search as anxiously as she might, she could find no trace of evil inthe children's minds. The singular specimen of womanhood, who happilywas gone for ever, had been a real mother to them, had tended them asif they were her own, had packed in the little heads a store ofinformation that to Gabrielle was a source of awe. A very curiousmixture was Mademoiselle Brunelle. What she had herself remarked as tothe conflicting elements in the female bosom was more true than theconclusion which followed. Whether the angel or the devil obtainsmastery does not always depend upon a man. In this case it depended ona woman--Gabrielle. If she had been drowned, Aglae would, no doubt,have been a model stepmother, and have done everything in her powerfor the advantage of the young ones. It was her hatred of thechatelaine, due to the misreading of her character, that had put thethought into her head of hurting them in order to inflict pain on her.Perhaps, it was no more than an idle threat to instil terror. When themoment came she would perchance have held her hand and spared them.Perhaps too rough a contact with the sharp edges of the jagged worldin early life had warped a nature that was intended to be genial. Asshe considered these things the forgiving Gabrielle freely pardonedher tormentor for the many stabs she had inflicted. Fear and horrorgave place to holy pity, and she resolved to use her influence toprocure for her another situation. With suitable surroundings shemight succeed in banishing the devil. Those surroundings she had notfound at Lorge. That short volume of its sinister history was closed,and must never be re-opened. Whatever else might happen MademoiselleAglae Brunelle must never revisit Lorge.

  The magic wand of the old marechal had even produced an effect uponthe abbe. Either he had been frightened into good behaviour, or he hadbeen induced to smother his unholy passion and forego his campaign ofmenaces. A few days after Aglae's defeat, during which time he hadbeen ostentatiously humble and obliging, he paid another visit to thechatelaine in her boudoir. For a moment she held her breath. Was thepersecution to recommence? As he had never threatened harm to the dearones, she had spared him in her letter to her father. Must she againcause him sorrow by seeking protection against her husband's brother?

  No; heaven was very merciful, and had quite withdrawn its gallinghand. The abbe presented himself before her in a new light. His sweetvoice was pitched in its most melodious key. His intellectual visagewas scored with furrows of anxiety and contrition. He franklyconfessed his sins, and humbly craved forgiveness, while tears poureddown his cheeks.

  "I was mad--driven quite out of myself by your marvellous beauty,Gabrielle," he murmured, in broken accents. "Believe me if you can,after the past, that I am not altogether bad. Forgiveness is a divineattribute which will well become your angelic nature. Like him fromwhom the unclean spirit was cast, I no longer shriek, and howl, andtear my flesh, but am subdued, clothed, and in my right mind again. Ilook upon my other self with horror, and praise God for the miraclewhereby I am saved. Pardon, Gabrielle; without it I shall never knowanother instant's peace."

  The marquise was much moved by the appeal. She had liked the man andenjoyed his society until, as he explained, he had gone mad. Who wasshe, who had erred in so many things--had even been so wicked as totry to take her life--that she should punish one who repented?

  He had muttered something about going away, removing from her path hisexecrated presence; had even said with thrilling sadness that hefirmly purposed to seek the cloister, and commence a life of penance.She, too, had once thought of the cloister. Indeed, it was upon thathint that Pharamond was acting now; for, alas, alas, the astute onewas but playing a new role, preparing new foundations for his tumbledhouse of cards.

  It is grievous for the historian to relate that this brilliant son ofthe Church was altogether heartless. He, who could prate so prettilyabout forgiveness, had not a grain of pity in his composition. Can aman love and hate at the same time? he had asked himself. No; but hehad mistaken a vile grovelling feeling born of ignoble sensuality forlove, and that feeling could run in harness in perfect accord side byside with hatred. His beautiful sister-in-law had flouted him, hadfoiled him, had, with sublime disdain, flung his threats in his face.She had plainly shown him how high above his foul and leprous basenesssoared her own simple purity. We may be aware that we are grovellingand vile, and deserve to be held up to the contempt of our fellows inour native ugliness. We may know this, and may endure the knowledgewith equanimity, even cynically enjoy and relish it; but to have ourvileness tossed in our face by another is quite another thing. Theabbe was not one to be baffled and submit to the beating calmly. Hewas more than ever steadfastly resolved some day to conquer; and beingendowed with indomitable patience, washed the slate with plodding carein order to commence afresh.

  As his craft had calculated, the marquise was too simple in hergoodness and too generous to bear malice. With feelings of intensegratitude that the stony path should grow so smooth, she forgave thesuppliant freely, and even gently jested as to the proposed retreat.No, no; he must wear his hair shirt at Gange, she said, and havingbeen granted full absolution, must, together with her, obliterate thepast. She explained that it was her intention to have masters fromBlois, frankly confessing that the education of the dear ones hadsoared far beyond her reach. "They shall come twice a week," themarquise explained, "and I will take lessons also. It will bedelightful for us all to help each other and prepare our various tasksduring the other days. You, Pharamond," she added cheerily, bent onhelping him to forget, "may be of the greatest service to us, for youare clever and learned in books. You shall hold the post of assistantusher and explain what we cannot understand. Leave us? Never! Whatwould Clovis do without you? I am afraid that you will have to studyMesmer's doctrines, so that he may not miss that woman. I am resolvedthat if it is essential to provide for him an affinity, thatmysterious object, in the future, shall be of the other sex."

  The new foundations were progressing prosperously. Pharamond had nevercontemplated abandoning the flesh-pots. Since the plan of an elopementwith the heiress was doomed to failure through the interference of thedictatorial old marechal, they must all be content to stop where
theywere, and, for the time being, dwell together. There was a lull in thepolitical situation, so emigration might not prove necessary. Withinthe boundaries of France there was no safer refuge than Touraine.Rustic effervescence was subsiding. News arrived from time to time ofmassacres and burnings, but these were chiefly in the south, indistricts surrounding cities.

  With grateful reverence and many eloquent protestations, the abbereceived the olive branch and set himself with alacrity to show howexceedingly clean he was washed. He impressed on Victor and Camillethe angelic attributes of their mamma, strained every nerve to tightenthe bonds that had grown slack, laid stress on the fact that thoughthe beloved governess was, of course, one of the best of women, it wasnecessary for their sakes to provide teachers more advanced than she.The best side of the mercurial gentleman quite glittered with snowyrectitude, and mother and children were agreed that no one could dowithout the abbe.

  A thorn in the flesh was the chevalier. A man who, too thirsty,babbles in his cups, is provoking; but when he becomes maudlin and isscarcely ever sober, he is a grievous trial to his comrades. Havingturned over the new leaf it was exasperating to Pharamond to beconstantly reminded of the old one at inconvenient seasons by ahiccuping sot; to be implored between vinous sobs "to make her happy."It was urgently necessary to take poor shaky Phebus in tow and treathim with strict severity. Once or twice, in disgust, he thought ofgetting rid of the sodden creature, and even mentioned the subject toClovis. But the latter would not hear of his banishment.

  "Where should we send him to alone?" he asked. "He would get intotrouble and disgrace us. It was you who saddled us with him, so youmust help us to bear the burthen."

  The abbe gave up the point without further discussion, for in dealingwith the weak it is wise to let them have their way in small mattersin order to get your own in large ones. Moreover, if kept undersurveillance, Phebus might be improved, and it is not well to throwwilfully aside a man, however helpless, over whom we have obtainedcomplete ascendency.

  Matters being arranged to his satisfaction so far, the astute and busyone bestirred himself about the marquis. Now that she was gone, Clovishad cause every hour, as she had foreseen, to regret Aglae. Who soingenious as she in disentangling knotty problems; who so clear ofhead in deciphering a theorem? Without her help, what was the use ofthe tub, or its precious contents? The evenings were interminable tohim without his favourite music. The blessed violoncello reposed nowin its box, for grunting on it all alone brought melancholy instead ofsolace to the musician. Before the cannon ball fell, neophyte andaffinity had been concerting plans for removing the tub from abenighted neighbourhood to some more congenial sphere. Its blessingswere wasted on rustic swine. Clovis longed to escape from the scene ofhis humiliation; burned to turn his back on Lorge; but there was a newand galling dread within, which kept him tongue-tied: a fear, that ifhe took too much upon himself the douche of an evil precedent would beturned on again; that the odious old rascal in Paris would warn him toobey his wife.

  If you are ill-advised enough to espouse an heiress, you are prettysure, sooner or later, to have her money flung in your face. Gabriellehad been so full of delicate tact with regard to the dangerous point,that Clovis had never been troubled about it until urgency hadimpelled de Breze to twist the screw, and under the wrench hecontinued to wince and writhe. Calm and dreamy as he was, he had neverovertly done anything to vex his wife--had drifted, and then beentowed into troubled waters, whose turbidness, now that attention wascalled to them, was a matter for surprise. He had struggled in hisfeeble way with conscience, and, the governess assisting, hadsucceeded in lulling it to rest; and it was very distressing to hisvanity that the sleeper should be so roughly wakened. Is it not alwayshumiliating to be treated like a peccant school-boy?

  I regret to state that the abbe, when in conference with the marquis,adroitly added to the chafing, by covert scratches and the insertionof little pins. "To a man of spirit," he would remark, deprecatingly,"it is painful to be led by the nose; none the less so, when theholder of the tongs happens to be the one whose duty is obedience." Onsuch occasions, Clovis would turn to his brother with puzzledwrinklings of the brow that were piteous and yet ludicrous. "What am Ito do?" he would groan. "The situation, as you say, is horrible; but Idon't see a way out of the difficulty." Then the abbe would tap hisshoulder and murmur, sighing, "Poor fellow. I pity you with all mybeing, but for all our sakes must exhort you to be civil to madame.Her wish is law to her papa. If she chose to ask the old scamp toeject us into the road, what else could we do but go?"

  Thus it will be seen that Gabrielle's sanguine expressions ofgratitude were somewhat premature. The disease of an importunate lovefor her spouse had submitted to surgical treatment, which was anadvantageous change for both; but she guessed nothing of the Nessusshirt, that under the fine linen excoriated the tender skin of thelymphatic sensualist, or dreamed of the effect on his tissues of theabbe's little pins.

  Affairs stood thus, when the marquis's _bete noire_ appeared again tostir the wound in his vanity which never ceased to fester. Actually,under the spring sunshine, the dusty berline was again visible,crawling down the road with its load of dust, and M. Galland peeringfrom the window. Clovis shot at his wife a look of angry suspicion,but did not fail to mark by her face, that this time the apparitionwas unexpected. He could see plainly that if there was to be anotherscrew turn, it was not at her instance or suggestion. So much wasevident, and the hot and hasty words which rose died upon his lips.The old rascal had determined to do something disagreeable on his ownaccount. What?

  M. Galland, sphynx-like as usual, bowed to the assembled company withrespectful deference; but the marquise turned faint, foreboding somefresh sorrow. The calm eyes of the solicitor rested on her with deepcompassion; for she was looking so much better, that it was a grievousthing to be bearer of evil tidings. For fear of distressing hisidolized child, the marechal had strictly forbidden her mother toalarm her in the weekly bulletins. She was not informed that the oldgentleman's malady had grown on him, that he grew worse instead ofbetter, and it came now upon her like an avalanche, that she wouldnever see him more.

  The Marechal de Breze was dead; had died blessing his daughter. It wasnecessary for his heiress to proceed instantly to Paris, to comforther distracted mother and attend to business of import.

  The irruption of the new cannon ball affected the party of listenersdifferently. Gabrielle, overwhelmed with grief, retired to pray in herchamber. Oh! Why had she not been more patient--more brave--lessselfish! She had inflicted her own troubles on the good father when hewas sick, perchance had been the innocent cause of precipitating hisdemise. Why not have continued the loving deceit, whereby she hadveiled her wounds so long from him?

  That wicked woman had only played upon her terrors, she was nowconvinced of it; would never have carried out her threats. Now that itwas too late, Gabrielle perceived with abortive beatings of the breastand idle wringings of the hands, that she had acted wrongly. Byplaying the craven, she had killed her father! Had she been possessedof a grain of independent courage, instead of seeking succour fromwithout, she would have marched like a steadfast heroine straight intoher husband's presence--have detailed her grievances and claimed herrights, and with her own bow and spear, have driven the enemy away.Alas! She was made to cling and not to fight. In her desolation sheprayed long and earnestly ere tears came to her relief. Vainly Toinonupbraided her, declaring that such thoughts were morbid, whilsthastily packing for the journey.

  To Clovis, the unexpected news brought ineffable relief. Just as hehad learnt to believe himself saddled with a demon, who would beconstantly driving spurs into his flanks. Lo! The incubus vanishedinto air! The old rascal could no longer threaten. His hand wasstilled. His voice was dumb for ever. From that quarter there would beno more humiliation; he would not be bidden to obey his wife.

  The abbe was so taken aback, that his nimble mind wandered in a mazeof possibilities, ere it settled down seriously to consider theeffects o
f the change. The protector of the marquise was gone--heronly protector--for Madame la Marechale was a colourless, somewhatweak-minded lady, who need not be considered at all. The newly-laidfoundations of the house of cards were just what they should be, butas circumstances alter cases, new plans must be drawn for thestructure. How true is it that the unexpected is always happening todisarrange the most elaborate schemes. The first thing was to go toParis, there to learn what dispositions had been made by the deceasedas to his property. It was highly improbable that the marshal shouldhave placed confidence in his unpractical consort. Was everything leftto Gabrielle? Probably. The abbe was content with his survey. By thedeath of de Breze, the situation was totally altered. He, Pharamond,must by skilful management, lead the marquise to lean more and more onhim. Influence must be exerted, too, over the marquis, who in suddenfreedom from irksome restraint might be impelled to do somethingimprudent. Yes, the horizon was rosy--clouds of difficulty wererolling away. Holding in his supple fingers both the husband and thewife, and exercising due dominion over the bibulous chevalier, itwould be curious if, by and by, the abbe did not attain his ends.