White Lies Part 74

"Thank you. You will give me a dearer t.i.tle before we part this time."

"Yes," said Josephine in a low whisper, and shuddered.

"Have you forgiven me frightening you so that night?"

"Yes."

"It was a shock to me, too, I can tell you. I like the boy. She professed to love him, and, to own the truth, I loathe all treachery and deceit. If I had done a murder, I would own it. A lie doubles every crime. But I took heart; we are all selfish, we men; of the two sisters one was all innocence and good faith; and she was the one I had chosen."

At these words Josephine rose, like a statue moving, and took a phial from her bosom and poured the contents into the gla.s.s.

But ere she could drink it, if such was her intention, Raynal, with his eyes gloomily lowered, said, in a voice full of strange solemnity,--

"I went to the army of the Rhine."

Josephine put down the gla.s.s directly, though without removing her hand from it.

"I see you understand me, and approve. Yes, I saw that your sister would be dishonored, and I went to the army and saw her seducer."

"You saw HIM. Oh, I hope you did not go and speak to him of--of this?"

"Why, of course I did."

Josephine resolved to know the worst at once. "May I ask," said she, "what you told him?"

"Why, I told him all I had discovered, and pointed out the course he must take; he must marry your sister at once. He refused. I challenged him. But ere we met, I was ordered to lead a forlorn hope against a bastion. Then, seeing me go to certain death, the n.o.ble fellow pitied me. I mean this is how I understood it all at the time; at any rate, he promised to marry Rose if he should live."

Josephine put out her hand, and with a horrible smile said, "I thank you; you have saved the honor of our family;" and with no more ado, she took the gla.s.s in her hand to drink the fatal contents.

But Raynal's reply arrested her hand. He said solemnly, "No, I have not. Have you no inkling of the terrible truth? Do not fiddle with that gla.s.s: drink it, or leave it alone; for, indeed, I need all your attention."

He took the gla.s.s out of her patient hand, and with a furtive look at the bedroom-door, drew her away to the other end of the room; "and,"

said he, "I could not tell your mother, for she knows nothing of the girl's folly; still less Rose, for I see she loves him still, or why is she so pale? Advise me, now, whilst we are alone. Colonel Dujardin was COMPARATIVELY indifferent to YOU. Will you undertake the task? A rough soldier like me is not the person to break the terrible tidings to that poor girl."

"What tidings? You confuse, you perplex me. Oh! what does this horrible preparation mean?"

"It means he will never marry your sister; he will never see her more."

Then Raynal walked the room in great agitation, which at once communicated itself to his hearer. But the loving heart is ingenious in avoiding its dire misgivings.

"I see," said she; "he told you he would never visit Beaurepaire again.

He was right."

Raynal shook his head sorrowfully.

"Ah, Josephine, you are far from the truth. I was to attack the bastion.

It was mined by the enemy, and he knew it. He took advantage of my back being turned. He led his men out of the trenches; he a.s.saulted the bastion at the head of his brigade. He took it."

"Ah, it was n.o.ble; it was like him."

"The enemy, retiring, blew the bastion into the air, and Dujardin--is dead."

"Dead!" said Josephine, in stupefied tones, as if the word conveyed no meaning to her mind, benumbed and stunned by the blow.

"Don't speak so loud," said Raynal; "I hear the poor girl at the door.

Ay, he took my place, and is dead."

"Dead!"

"Swallowed up in smoke and flames, overwhelmed and crushed under the ruins."

Josephine's whole body gave way, and heaved like a tree falling under the axe. She sank slowly to her knees, and low moans of agony broke from her at intervals. "Dead, dead, dead!"

"Is it not terrible?" he cried.

She did not see him nor hear him, but moaned out wildly, "Dead, dead, dead!" The bedroom-door was opened.

She shrieked with sudden violence, "Dead! ah, pity! the gla.s.s! the composing draught." She stretched her hands out wildly. Raynal, with a face full of concern, ran to the table, and got the gla.s.s. She crawled on her knees to meet it; he brought it quickly to her hand.

"There, my poor soul!"

Even as their hands met, Rose threw herself on the cup, and s.n.a.t.c.hed it with fury from them both. She was white as ashes, and her eyes, supernaturally large, glared on Raynal with terror. "Madman!" she cried, "would you kill her?"

He glared back on her: what did this mean? Their eyes were fixed on each other like combatants for life and death; they did not see that the room was filling with people, that the doctor was only on the other side of the table, and that the baroness and Edouard were at the door, and all looking wonderstruck at this strange sight--Josephine on her knees, and those two facing each other, white, with dilating eyes, the gla.s.s between them.

But what was that to the horror, when the next moment the patient Josephine started to her feet, and, standing in the midst, tore her hair by handfuls, out of her head.

"Ah, you s.n.a.t.c.h the kind poison from me!"

"Poison!"

"Poison!"

"Poison!" cried the others, horror-stricken.

"Ah! you won't let me die. Curse you all! curse you! I never had my own way in anything. I was always a slave and a fool. I have murdered the man I love--I love. Yes, my husband, do you hear? the man I love."

"Hus.h.!.+ daughter, respect my gray hairs."

"Your gray hairs! You are not so old in years as I am in agony. So this is your love, Rose! Ah, you won't let me die--won't you? THEN I'LL DO WORSE--I'LL TELL."

"He who is dead; you have murdered him amongst you, and I'll follow him in spite of you all--he was my betrothed. He struggled wounded, bleeding, to my feet. He found me married. News came of my husband's death; I married my betrothed."

"Married him!" exclaimed the baroness.

"Ah, my poor mother. And she kissed me so kindly just now--she will kiss me no more. Oh, I am not ashamed of marrying him. I am only ashamed of the cowardice that dared not do it in face of all the world. We had scarce been happy a fortnight, when a letter came from Colonel Raynal.

He was alive. I drove my true husband away, wretch that I was. None but bad women have an atom of sense. I tried to do my duty to my legal husband. He was my benefactor. I thought it was my duty. Was it? I don't know: I have lost the sense of right and wrong. I turned from a living creature to a lie. He who had scattered benefits on me and all this house; he whom it was too little to love; he ought to have been adored: this man came here one night to wife proud, joyous, and warm-hearted. He found a cradle, and two women watching it. Now Edouard, now MONSIEUR, do you see that life is IMPOSSIBLE to me? One bravely accused herself: she was innocent. One swooned away like a guilty coward."

Edouard uttered an exclamation.