The Bath Keepers Volume Ii Part 41

Everything announced that a violent explanation was likely to take place very soon. The marquis's glances foreboded a storm; but Valentine, always calm and impa.s.sive, awaited events with the most absolute tranquillity.

At last, Miretta one day rushed into the salon where the marquis and Valentine were together. The girl was very much excited, and could hardly control her voice to say:

"Madame--I was going out--I had someone to see to-day! But the concierge has just refused to open the gate, and he told me that he did it by monsieur le marquis's order."

"Is this true, monsieur?" Valentine asked her husband.

"Yes, madame, it is true that he acted by my orders. You have absolute confidence in this girl; but let me tell you, madame, that she abuses it; for I a.s.sume that it is not with your consent that she receives her lover in this house. Denial would be quite useless; I am certain of what I say: about ten days ago,--the evening when you claimed to be indisposed, madame,--a cavalier carefully enveloped in a cloak entered this house after asking for mademoiselle. Now, was it she or you whom he came to see? It is for you to answer this question, madame."

"It was not to see Miretta that that gentleman came, monsieur; it was to see me."

The marquis stepped back, glaring at his wife, and murmured, while his hand sought his sword hilt:

"To see you! that man came here to see you, madame!"

"Yes, monsieur, nor is that all; Miretta now has upon her a letter which I gave her to take to this same gentleman."

"Infamous!--What, madame, you dare to confess----"

"One does not fear to confess, when no criminal purpose exists; there is no infamy when a woman seeks to avenge her own honor; and really, monsieur le marquis, for a man who, I had been told, was so jealous, so sensitive in the matter of honor, you have been a long time finding out that someone was making love to your wife.--Miretta, give monsieur le marquis the note I handed you, and go."

Miretta made haste to obey the marchioness; she was secretly rejoiced to deliver to the husband the note addressed to the lover; she understood that her mistress was carrying out her scheme of vengeance at last; and she left the room, with a glance at Valentine expressive of her satisfaction.

The Marquis de Santoval took the note that the girl handed him; he was still inclined to disbelieve what he heard; he found it difficult to understand his wife's conduct. However, he opened the letter and read:

"This evening, about ten o'clock, be in the first arcade on Place Royale, as you enter from Rue des Tournelles. I will join you there."

"This is an a.s.signation, madame," said the marquis, angrily crumpling the letter in his hand.

"Yes, monsieur; but pray do not crumple the paper so, unless you wish me to have the trouble of writing another."

"What, madame, you propose----"

"Really, monsieur, I thought that you had more penetration; but, since I must explain everything to you, listen: this letter was----"

"For Comte Leodgard de Marvejols, madame."

"Even so, monsieur; ah! I am very glad that you have at least guessed that.--Now, do you not know that, in accordance with plans formed by our parents, Comte Leodgard was to have been my husband?"

"Your husband?--I did not know it."

"The alliance was earnestly desired by the count's father, and I should have complied with my father's last wishes. But Comte Leodgard would have none of me for his companion; he scorned the projected union--and all to marry a girl of the common people.--Monsieur le marquis, between men there are insults that are never forgiven, and for which they swear to wreak vengeance; do you think that among women one does not meet now and then one of those proud natures which cannot endure an insult? Well, I am such a woman. After I married you, my heart throbbed with joy when I saw that the count, when I first met him in society, seemed to admire my features and my figure, seemed, in short, to be enamored of my person. Then, monsieur, instead of turning my eyes in disdain, as others would have done perhaps in my place, I gave all my attention to him, fastening my eyes upon his and trying to impart to them an expression of languor, almost of tenderness; for at that party I said to myself: 'The time has come to avenge myself on that man who refused to marry me; I propose that he shall love me; I am determined to see him at my feet, swearing everlasting love, imploring me to reciprocate, and cursing the day when he refused my hand.'--That triumph I enjoyed, monsieur, on the evening that the count was admitted to this house.--But that was not enough; after pretending to be touched by his pa.s.sion, I determined to appoint a meeting with him in some solitary, out-of-the-way place; but, I thought, he will not find me there; the man whose name I bear will go to that rendezvous and will take it upon himself to make my vengeance complete.--Well, monsieur le marquis, do you understand my conduct now?"

The marquis bent his knee before his wife and kissed her hand again and again, saying:

"I admire you, madame; I am proud to be your husband!--Pray forgive me for having misunderstood you for a moment. But if my jealousy was slow to burst forth, it was because, in the bottom of my heart, I could not believe in your treachery; it was because I remembered that you chose to become my wife of your own free will, without any constraint; and because I thought that you could not have a.s.sumed, solely to dishonor it, the name that is now yours.--Here, madame--take this note, send it by your maid, who is entirely at liberty now to leave the house. As for the rest, rely upon me to conclude this affair, and to punish the reckless man who, after being insane enough to spurn an alliance with you, dares now to address his solicitations to the wife of the Marquis de Santoval! I am well aware that Monsieur le Cardinal de Richelieu has forbidden duelling, that he punishes it very severely, in fact; but have no fear--it will all be between ourselves."

The weather was cold and dismal. A fine but steady rain made the streets of Paris very slippery where they were paved, and even more dangerous were those very numerous ones that had no pavements. At ten o'clock at night, in November, and in cold and rainy weather, one met very few people abroad. However, the famous Giovanni had ceased some time before to molest belated wayfarers, and people were beginning to hope that he had left Paris.

At a few minutes before ten, a man entered Place Royale, sheltering himself as well as he could in a cloak of greater breadth than length.

"What a curious predilection the marchioness has for this square!" he said to himself. "What a strange idea always to select it for her place of rendezvous! But I trust that this is the last one that she will give me here. She must consent to come to my _pet.i.te maison_. There we shall have no surprises to dread; there are secret exits which put one out of reach of any possible danger."

Having arrived at one of the arcades which surrounded the square, and being sheltered from the rain there, Leodgard let his cloak fall back, and raised his hat brim so that it covered his face less. Then, casting his eyes about the square, which was deserted, and at its dark arcades, he continued:

"The place is decidedly ill chosen for an amorous rendezvous. But Valentine will probably send her messenger, young Miretta--Miretta! yes, that is surely the name; and judging from what she told me, she is the person! What a strange meeting! If that girl suspected!--Ah! I must banish that ghastly memory!--How dismal this square is to-night! Really, this spot would be much better suited for a meeting between two gallant men armed with swords or daggers!--But is not this the place?--Yes, it was at the entrance to Rue des Tournelles, where one side of the park then came to an end--I have often been told the story--this is the very spot where Maugiron, Quelus, and Livarot fought at five o'clock in the morning, in April, 1578. Their adversaries were D'Entragues, Schomberg, and Riberac. This square was not then laid out, and from the top of the towers of the Bastille one could watch the whole combat.--Ah! that triple duel was a glorious battle! Maugiron, Schomberg, and Riberac lost their lives.--But that is the fitting death for a gentleman to die!--Those were the good times!--The king, far from forbidding duels, was foremost in encouraging them; whereas to-day the cardinal is terribly severe. The Bastille, aye, death sometimes, for those who fight, who disobey his edicts. And when he has said the word, Richelieu is inflexible! How he looked at me at that fete at the Prince de Valdimer's!--Was he thinking of my father, whom he esteems highly, they say? Or was it---- That look upset me completely. That man knows so many things!"

Leodgard let his head sink upon his breast, and stood lost in thought.

In that condition, he saw nothing, heard nothing, and seemed entirely oblivious to everything that was taking place about him. So it was that he did not notice an individual, quite tall, wrapped in his cloak, and followed by a servant bearing a lantern, who entered the arcade in which he was waiting, and walked toward him. The new-comer pa.s.sed close to Leodgard, who did not emerge from his reverie or lift his head.

Thereupon, at a sign from his master, the servant who carried the lantern held it so near to the count's face that the light fell upon it.

"What are you doing here, knave?" cried Leodgard, instantly raising his head. "Why do you stop so near me with your lantern? Did I ask you for a light?"

"Excuse him, monsieur; it was at my command that he acted as he did. As I pa.s.sed you, I thought that I recognized you; but it is so dark under these arcades that I was not certain, and, as I desired to a.s.sure myself that I was not mistaken, I motioned to my servant to throw the light on your face for a moment. So you see, he is not the culprit."

Leodgard's features contracted into a scowl; he had recognized the Marquis de Santoval in the person who addressed him. He divined instantly that the encounter was not simply the result of chance; however, he determined to pretend to a.s.sume at first that it was so, and he replied nonchalantly:

"It is Monsieur le Marquis de Santoval, I think.--I am overjoyed at the chance which affords me the pleasure of offering you my most sincere respects."

The marquis made a sign to his valet, who withdrew ten or twelve paces, so that he could not overhear what was said. When the servant was out of hearing, Monsieur de Santoval planted himself haughtily in front of Leodgard, and said in a bantering tone:

"The weather is very bad for an open-air rendezvous, is it not, monsieur le comte?"

"Why, it seems to me that you do not consider it too bad, monsieur le marquis, as it does not prevent you from coming out."

"Ah! but I have not come here to meet a lady--quite the contrary!"

"Who told you that I was here with that purpose?"

"Who? You would be greatly surprised if I should tell you that it was the very person who gave you the rendezvous!"

Leodgard with difficulty restrained an outburst of rage, and replied:

"I do not understand you, monsieur le marquis!"

"You do not understand me, count? That surprises me!--No matter, I will explain myself more clearly.--There are gentlemen to whom nothing is sacred, and who do not hesitate to pay their respects to other men's wives. Their number is not small, I am aware! But it is less common to see a gallant, after refusing to marry a n.o.bly born and beautiful lady, presume to make love to her as soon as she has become the wife of another man.--You must agree that a man need be extremely self-conceited to believe that he will succeed in obtaining a hearing then!"

"Monsieur le marquis----"

"But that is what you have done, count, failing to perceive that the lady was laughing at you, and that she joyfully grasped the opportunity to give you a lesson which you deserve."

"Enough, marquis, enough! I take lessons from no one!"

"You prefer a sword thrust, then?"

"I venture to believe that you came here to find me, monsieur le marquis, with the intention of making use of your sword."

"You are not in error."