white lies-第39章

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〃I　was　very　cruel。〃

〃No！　not　cruel；　wise。　　But　I　will　be　wiser。　　I　shall　go　to…night。〃

〃To…night；　Camille？〃　said　Josephine；　turning　pale。

〃Ay！　for　to…night　I　am　strong；　to…morrow　I　may　be　weak。　　To…night　everything　thrusts　me　on　the　right　path。　　To…morrow　everything　will　draw　me　from　it。　　Do　not　cry；　beloved　one；　you　and　I　have　a　hard　fight。　　We　must　be　true　allies；　whenever　one　is　weak；　then　is　the　time　for　the　other　to　be　strong。　　I　have　been　weaker　than　you；　to　my　shame　be　it　said；　but　this　is　my　hour　of　strength。　　A　light　from　heaven　shows　me　my　path。　　I　am　full　of　passion；　but　like　you　I　have　honor。　　You　are　Raynal's　wife；　andRaynal　saved　my　life。〃

〃Ah！　is　it　possible？　　When？　where？　may　Heaven　bless　him　for　it！〃

〃Ask　HIM；　and　say　I　told　you　of　itI　have　not　strength　to　tell　it　you；　but　I　will　go　to…night。〃

Then　Josephine；　who　had　resisted　till　all　her　strength　was　gone；　whispered　with　a　blush　that　it　was　too　late　to　get　a　conveyance。

〃I　need　none　to　carry　my　sword；　my　epaulets；　and　my　love　for　you。　　I　shall　go　on　foot。〃

Josephine　said　nothing；　but　she　began　to　walk　slower　and　slower。　And　so　the　unfortunate　pair　came　along　creeping　slowly　with　drooping　heads　towards　the　gate　of　the　Pleasaunce。　　There　their　last　walk　in　this　world　must　end。　　Many　a　man　and　woman　have　gone　to　the　scaffold　with　hearts　less　heavy　and　more　hopeful　than　theirs。

〃Dry　your　eyes；　Josephine；〃　said　Camille　with　a　deep　sigh。　　〃They　are　all　out　on　the　Pleasaunce。〃

〃No；　I　will　not　dry　my　eyes；〃　cried　Josephine；　almost　violently。　　〃I　care　for　nothing　now。〃

The　baroness；　the　doctor；　and　Rose；　were　all　in　the　Pleasaunce：　and　as　the　pair　came　in；　lo！　every　eye　was　bent　on　Josephine。

She　felt　this；　and　her　eyes　sought　the　ground：　benumbed　as　she　was　with　despondency；　she　began　now　to　dread　some　fresh　stroke　or　other。

Camille　felt　doubly　guilty　and　confused。　　How　they　all　look　at　us；　he　thought。　　Do　they　know　what　a　villain　I　have　been？　　He　determined　to　slip　away；　and　pack　up；　and　begone。　　However；　nobody　took　any　notice　of　him。　　The　baroness　drew　Josephine　apart。　　And　Rose　followed　her　mother　and　sister　with　eyes　bent　on　the　ground。

There　was　a　strange　solemnity　about　them　all。

Aubertin　remained　behind。　　But　even　he　took　no　notice　of　Camille；　but　walked　up　and　down　with　his　hands　behind　him；　and　a　sad　and　troubled　face。　　Camille　felt　his　utter　desolation。　　He　was　nothing　to　any　of　them。　　He　resolved　to　go　at　once；　and　charge　Aubertin　with　his　last　adieus　to　the　family。　　It　was　a　wise　and　manly　resolve。　　He　stopped　Aubertin　in　the　middle　of　his　walk；　and　said　in　a　faint　voice　of　the　deepest　dejection；

〃Doctor；　the　time　is　come　that　I　must　once　more　thank　you　for　all　your　goodness　to　me；　and　bid　you　all　farewell。〃

〃What；　going　before　your　strength　is　re…established？〃　said　the　doctor　politely；　but　not　warmly。

〃I　am　out　of　all　danger；　thanks　to　your　skill。〃

〃Colonel；　at　another　time　I　should　insist　upon　your　staying　a　day　or　two　longer；　but　now　I　think　it　would　be　unadvisable　to　press　you　to　stay。　　Ah；　colonel；　you　came　to　a　happy　house；　but　you　leave　a　sad　one。　　Poor　Madame　Raynal！〃

〃Sir！〃

〃You　saw　the　baroness　draw　her　aside。〃

〃Y…yes。〃

〃By　this　time　she　knows　it。〃

〃In　Heaven's　name　what　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Camille。

〃I　forgot；　you　are　not　aware　of　the　calamity　that　has　fallen　upon　our　beloved　Josephine；　on　the　darling　of　the　house。〃

Camille　turned　cold　with　vague　apprehension。　　But　he　contrived　to　stammer　out；　〃No；　tell　me！　for　Heaven's　sake　tell　me。〃

The　doctor　thus　pressed　revealed　all　in　a　very　few　words。　　〃My　poor　friend；〃　said　he　solemnly；　〃her　husbandis　dead。〃


CHAPTER　XIV。


The　baroness；　as　I　have　said；　drew　Josephine　aside；　and　tried　to　break　to　her　the　sad　news：　but　her　own　grief　overcame　her；　and　bursting　into　tears　she　bewailed　the　loss　of　her　son。　　Josephine　was　greatly　shocked。　　Death！Raynal　deadher　true；　kind　friend　dead　her　benefactor　dead。　　She　clung　to　her　mother's　neck；　and　sobbed　with　her。　　Presently　she　withdrew　her　face　and　suddenly　hid　it　in　both　her　hands。

She　rose　and　kissed　her　mother　once　more：　and　went　to　her　own　room：　and　then；　though　there　was　none　to　see　her；　she　hid　her　wet；　but　burning；　cheeks　in　her　hands。

Josephine　confined　herself　for　some　days　to　her　own　room；　leaving　it　only　to　go　to　the　chapel　in　the　park；　where　she　spent　hours　in　prayers　for　the　dead　and　in　self…humiliation。　　Her　〃tender　conscience〃　accused　herself　bitterly　for　not　having　loved　this　gallant　spirit　more　than　she　had。

Camille　realized　nothing　at　first；　he　looked　all　confused　in　the　doctor's　face；　and　was　silent。　　Then　after　awhile　he　said；　〃Dead？　Raynal　dead？〃

〃Killed　in　action。〃

A　red　flush　came　to　Camille's　face；　and　his　eyes　went　down　to　the　ground　at　his　very　feet；　nor　did　he　once　raise　them　while　the　doctor　told　him　how　the　sad　news　had　come。　　〃Picard　the　notary　brought　us　the　Moniteur；　and　there　was　Commandant　Raynal　among　the　killed　in　a　cavalry　skirmish。〃　　With　this；　he　took　the　journal　from　his　pocket；　and　Camille　read　it；　with　awe…struck；　and　other　feelings　he　would　have　been　sorry　to　see　analyzed。　　He　said　not　a　word；　and　lowered　his　eyes　to　the　ground。

〃And　now；〃　said　Aubertin；　〃you　will　excuse　me。　　I　must　go　to　my　poor　friend　the　baroness。　　She　had　a　mother's　love　for　him　who　is　no　more：　well　she　might。〃

Aubertin　went　away；　and　left　Dujardin　standing　there　like　a　statue；　his　eyes　still　glued　to　the　ground　at　his　feet。

The　doctor　was　no　sooner　out　of　sight；　than　Camille　raised　his　eyes　furtively；　like　a　guilty　person；　and　looked　irresolutely　this　way　and　that：　at　last　he　turned　and　went　back　to　the　place　where　he　had　meditated　suicide　and　murder；　looked　down　at　it　a　long　while；　then　looked　up　to　heaventhen　fell　suddenly　on　his　knees：　and　so　remained　till　night…fall。　　Then　he　came　back　to　the　chateau。

He　whispered　to　himself；　〃And　I　am　afraid　it　is　too　late　to　go　away　to…night。〃　　He　went　softly　into　the　saloon。　　Nobody　was　there　but　Rose　and　Aubertin。　　At　sight　of　him　Rose　got　up　and　left　the　room。　But　I　suppose　she　went　to　Josephine；　for　she　returned　in　a　few　minutes；　and　rang　the　bell；　and　ordered　some　supper　to　be　brought　up　for　Colonel　Dujardin。

〃You　have　not　dined；　I　hear；〃　said　she；　very　coldly。

〃I　was　afraid　you　were　gone　altogether；〃　said　the　doctor：　then　turning　to　Rose；　〃He　told　me　he　was　going　this　evening。　　You　had　better　stay　quiet　another　day　or　two；〃　added　he；　kindly。

〃Do　you　think　so？〃　said　Camille；　timidly。

He　stayed　upon　these　terms。　　And　now　he　began　to　examine　himself。　〃Did　I　wish　him　dead？　　I　hope　I　never　formed　such　a　thought！　　I　don't　remember　ever　wishing　him　dead。〃　　And　he　went　twice　a　day　to　that　place　by　the　stream；　and　thought　very　solemnly　what　a　terrible　thing　ungoverned　passion　is；　and　repentednot　eloquently；　but　silently；　sincerely。

But　soon　his　impatient　spirit　began　to　torment　itself　again。　　Why　did　Josephine　shun　him　now？　　Ah！　she　loved　Raynal　now　that　he　was　dead。　　Women　love　the　thing　they　have　lost；　so　he　had　heard　say。　　In　that　case；　the　very　sight　of　him　would　of　course　be　odious　to　her：　he　could　understand　that。　　The　absolute；　unreasoning　faith　he　once　had　in　her　had　been　so　rudely　shaken　by　her　marriage　with　Raynal；　that　now　he　could　only　believe　just　so　much　as　he　saw；　and　he　saw　that　she　shunned　him。

He　became　moody；　sad；　and　disconsolate：　and　as　Josephine　shunned　him；　so　he　avoided　all　the　others；　and　wandered　for　hours　by　himself；　perplexed　and　miserable。　　After　awhile；　he　became　conscious　that　he　was　under　a　sort　of　surveillance。　　Rose　de　Beaurepaire；　who　had　been　so　kind　to　him　when　he　was　confined　to　his　own　room；　but　had　taken　little　notice　of　him　since　he　came　down；　now　resumed　her　care　of　him；　and　evidently　made　it　her　business　to　keep　up　his　heart。　　She　used　to　meet　him　out　walking　in　a　mysterious　way；　and　in　short；　be　always　falling　in　with　him　and　trying　to　cheer　him　up：　with　tolerable　success。

Such　was　the　state　of　affairs　when　the　party　was　swelled　and　matters　complicated　by　the　arrival　of　one　we　have　lost　sight　of。

Edouard　Riviere　retarded　his　cure　by　an　impatient　spirit：　but　he　got　well　at　last；　and　his　uncle　drove　him　in　the　cabriolet　to　his　own　quarters。