white lies-第23章

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〃Oh！　oh；　dear！　our　poor　Edouard！〃

And　if　poor　Edouard　had　seen　the　pale　faces；　and　heard　the　faltering　accents；　it　would　have　reconciled　him　to　his　broken　arm　almost。　This　hand…grenade　the　commandant　had　dropped　so　coolly　among　them；　it　was　a　long　while　ere　they　could　recover　from　it　enough　to　read　the　rest　of　the　letter；


so　I　rode　over　to　him；　and　found　him　on　his　back；　fretting　for　want　of　something　to　do。　　I　told　him　the　whole　story。　　He　undertook　the　business。　　I　have　received　his　instructions；　and　next　week　shall　be　at　his　quarters　to　clear　off　his　arrears　of　business；　and　make　acquaintance　with　all　your　family；　if　they　permit。

RAYNAL。


As　the　latter　part　of　this　letter　seemed　to　require　a　reply；　the　baroness　wrote　a　polite　note；　and　Jacintha　sent　Dard　to　leave　it　for　the　commandant　at　Riviere's　lodgings。　　But　first　they　all　sat　down　and　wrote　kind　and　pitying　and　soothing　letters　to　Edouard。　　Need　I　say　these　letters　fell　upon　him　like　balm？

They　all　inquired　carelessly　in　their　postscripts　what　he　had　decided　as　their　referee。　　He　replied　mysteriously　that　they　would　know　that　in　a　week　or　two。　　Meantime；　all　he　thought　it　prudent　to　tell　them　was　that　he　had　endeavored　to　be　just　to　both　parties。

〃Little　solemn　puppy；〃　said　Rose；　and　was　racked　with　curiosity。

Next　week　Raynal　called　on　the　baroness。　　She　received　him　alone。　They　talked　about　Madame　Raynal。　　The　next　day　he　dined　with　the　whole　party；　and　the　commandant's　manners　were　the　opposite　of　what　the　baroness　had　inculcated。　　But　she　had　a　strong　prejudice　in　his　favor。　　Had　her　feelings　been　the　other　way　his　brusquerie　would　have　shocked　her。　　It　amused　her。　　If　people's　hearts　are　with　you；　THAT　for　their　heads！

He　came　every　day　for　a　week；　chatted　with　the　baroness；　walked　with　the　young　ladies；　and　when　after　work　he　came　over　in　the　evening；　Rose　used　to　cross…examine　him；　and　out　came　such　descriptions　of　battles　and　sieges；　such　heroism　and　such　simplicity　mixed；　as　made　the　evening　pass　delightfully。　　On　these　occasions　the　young　ladies　fixed　their　glowing　eyes　on　him；　and　drank　in　his　character　as　well　as　his　narrative；　in　which　were　fewer　〃I's〃　than　in　anything　of　the　sort　you　ever　read　or　heard。

At　length　Rose　contrived　to　draw　him　aside；　and；　hiding　her　curiosity　under　feigned　nonchalance；　asked　him　what　the　referee　had　decided。　　He　told　her　that　was　a　secret　for　the　present。

〃Well；　but；〃　said　Rose；　〃not　from　me。　　Edouard　and　I　have　no　secrets。〃

〃Come；　that's　good；〃　said　Raynal。　　〃Why；　you　are　the　very　one　he　warned　me　against　the　most；　said　you　were　as　curious　as　Mother　Eve；　and　as　sharp　as　her　needle。〃

〃Then　he　is　a　little　scurrilous　traitor；〃　cried　Rose；　turning　very　red。　　〃So　that　is　how　he　talks　of　me　behind　my　back；　and　calls　me　an　angel　to　my　face；　I'll　pay　him　for　this。　　Do　tell　me；　commandant；　never　mind　what　HE　says。〃

〃What！　disobey　orders？〃

〃Orders？　to　you　from　that　boy！〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Raynal；　〃for　that　matter；　we　soldiers　are　used　to　command　one　moment；　and　obey　the　next。〃

In　a　word；　this　military　pedant　was　impracticable；　and　Rose　gave　him　up　in　disgust；　and　began　to　call　up　a　sulky　look　when　the　other　two　sang　his　praises。　　For　the　old　lady　pronounced　him　charming；　and　Josephine　said　he　was　a　man　of　crystal；　never　said　a　word　he　did　not　mean；　and　she　wished　she　was　like　him。　　But　the　baroness　thought　this　was　going　a　little　too　far。

〃No；　thank　you；〃　said　she　hastily；　〃he　is　a　man；　a　thorough　man。　　He　would　make　an　intolerable　woman。　　A　fine　life　if　one　had　a　parcel　of　women　about；　all　blurting　out　their　real　minds　every　moment；　and　never　smoothing　matters。〃

〃Mamma；　what　a　horrid　picture！〃　chuckled　Rose。

She　then　proposed　that　at　his　next　visit　they　should　all　three　make　an　earnest　appeal　to　him　to　let　them　know　what　Edouard　had　decided。

But　Josephine　begged　to　be　excused；　feared　it　would　be　hardly　delicate；　and　said　languidly　that　for　her　part　she　felt　they　were　in　good　hands；　and　prescribed　patience。　　The　baroness　acquiesced；　and　poor　Rose　and　her　curiosity　were　baffled　on　every　side。

At　last；　one　fine　day；　her　torments　were　relieved　without　any　further　exertion　on　her　part。　　Jacintha　bounced　into　the　drawing…　room　with　a　notice　that　the　commandant　wanted　to　speak　to　Josephine　a　minute　out　in　the　Pleasaunce。

〃How　droll　he　is；〃　said　Rose；　〃fancy　sending　in　for　a　young　lady　like　that。　　Don't　go；　Josephine；　how；　he　would　stare。〃

〃My　dear；　I　no　more　dare　disobey　him　than　if　I　was　one　of　his　soldiers。〃　　And　she　laid　down　her　work；　and　rose　quietly　to　do　what　she　was　bid。

〃Well；〃　said　Rose；　superciliously；　〃go　to　your　commanding　officer。　And；　O　Josephine；　if　you　are　worth　anything　at　all；　do　get　out　of　him　what　that　Edouard　has　settled。〃

Josephine　kissed　her；　and　promised　to　try。　　After　the　first　salutation；　there　was　a　certain　hesitation　about　Raynal　which　Josephine　had　never　seen　a　trace　of　in　him　before；　so；　to　put　him　at　his　ease；　and　at　the　same　time　keep　her　promise　to　Rose；　she　asked　timidly　if　their　mutual　friend　had　been　able　to　suggest　anything。

〃What！　don't　you　know　that　I　have　been　acting　all　along　upon　his　instructions？〃　answered　Raynal。

〃No；　indeed！　and　you　have　not　told　us　what　he　advised。〃

〃Told　you？　why；　of　course　not；　they　were　secret　instructions。　　I　have　obeyed　one　set；　and　now　I　come　to　the　other；　and　there　is　the　difficulty；　being　a　kind　of　warfare　I　know　nothing　about。〃

〃It　must　be　savage　warfare；　then；〃　suggested　the　lady　politely。

〃Not　a　bit　of　it。　　Now；　who　would　have　thought　I　was　such　a　coward？〃

Josephine　was　mystified；　however；　she　made　a　shrewd　guess。　　〃Do　you　fear　a　repulse　from　any　one　of　us？　　Then；　I　suppose；　you　meditate　some　extravagant　act　of　generosity。〃

〃Not　I。〃

〃Of　delicacy；　then。〃

〃Just　the　reverse。　　Confound　the　young　dog！　why　is　he　not　here　to　help　me？〃

〃But；　after　all；〃　suggested　Josephine；　〃you　have　only　to　carry　out　his　instructions。〃

〃That　is　true！　that　is　true！　but　when　a　fellow　is　a　coward；　a　poltroon；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing。〃

This　repeated　assertion　of　cowardice　on　the　part　of　the　living　Damascus　blade　that　stood　bolt…upright　before　her；　struck　Josephine　as　so　funny　that　she　laughed　merrily；　and　bade　him　fancy　it　was　only　a　fort　he　was　attacking　instead　of　the　terrible　Josephine；　whom　none　but　heroes　feared；　she　assured　him。

This　encouragement；　uttered　in　jest；　was　taken　in　earnest。　　The　soldier　thanked　her；　and　rallied　visibly　at　the　comparison。　　〃All　right；〃　said　he；　〃as　you　say；　it　is　only　a　fortsomademoiselle！〃

〃Monsieur！〃

〃Hum！　will　you　lend　me　your　hand　for　a　moment？〃

〃My　hand！　what　for？　there；〃　and　she　put　it　out　an　inch　a　minute。　　He　took　it；　and　inspected　it　closely。

〃A　charming　hand；　the　hand　of　a　virtuous　woman？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Josephine　as　cool　as　a　cucumber；　too　sublimely　and　absurdly　innocent　even　to　blush。

〃Is　it　your　own？〃

〃Sir！〃　　She　blushed　at　that；　I　can　tell　you。

〃Because　if　it　was；　I　would　ask　you　to　give　it　me。　　（I've　fired　the　first　shot　anyway。）〃

Josephine　whipped　her　hand　off　his　palm；　where　it　lay　like　cream　spilt　on　a　trencher。

〃Ah！　I　see；　you　are　not　free：　you　have　a　lover。〃

〃No；　no！〃　cried　Josephine　in　distress；　〃I　love　nobody　but　my　mother　and　sister：　I　never　shall。〃

〃Your　mother；〃　cried　Raynal；　〃that　reminds　me；　he　told　me　to　ask　her；　by　Jove；　I　think　he　told　me　to　ask　her　first；〃　and　Raynal　up　with　his　scabbard　and　was　making　off。

Josephine　begged　him　to　do　nothing　of　the　kind。

〃I　can　save　you　the　trouble；〃　said　she。

〃Ah；　but　my　instructions！　my　instructions！〃　cried　the　military　pedant；　and　ran　off　into　the　house；　and　left　Josephine　〃planted　there；〃　as　they　say　in　France。

Raynal　demanded　a　private　interview　of　the　baroness　so　significantly　and　unceremoniously　that　Rose　had　no　alternative　but　to　retire；　but　not　without　a　glance　of　defiance　at　the　bear。　　She　ran　straight；　without　her　bonnet；　into　the　Pleasaunce　to　slake　her　curiosity　at　Josephine。　　That　young　lady　was　walking　pensively；　but　turned　at　sight　of　Rose；　and　the　sisters　came　together　with　a　clash　of　tongues。

〃O　Rose！　he　has〃

〃Oh！〃

So　nimbly　does　the　female　mind　run　on　its　little　beaten　tracks；　that　it　took　no　more　than　those　syllables