"Heaven forbid!" sighed Madame de la Mariniere.
For her eyes followed his. They fell on Helene near the door, white and fair, her face lit up with some new and sweet feeling as she laughed with the little old governess dressed up in ancient brocades from a chest in the garret, the dowager Marquise of the proverb just played.
And a little further, in the shadow of the doorway, stood Angelot in powdered wig, silk coat, and sword, looking like a handsome courtier from a group by Watteau, and his eyes showed plainly enough what woman, if not what cause, attracted him at the moment. As to causes, Monsieur Joseph and the Vicomte des Barres were deep in talk close by; two Chouans consulting in the very presence of the Prefect.
Monsieur de Mauves smiled, took a delicate pinch of snuff, and stroked his chin.
"Sometimes I congratulate myself, madame," he said, "on having no young people to marry. Yet, with a sense of duty, which, thank G.o.d, they generally have, they are more manageable than their elders. Look, for instance, at your dear and charming brother-in-law. There he is hatching fresh plots, when I have just a.s.sured him that the police are not supervising him by my orders, and never shall, if I can trust him to behave like a peaceable citizen."
"Ah, you are very good, Monsieur le Prefet," said Madame de la Mariniere. She went on talking absently. "Whatever we may think of your politics," she said, "it seems a crime to annoy or disappoint you.
Indeed you do much to reconcile us. But as to Ange--his father"s son is never likely--"
"It is a world of surprises, dear madame," said the Prefect, as she did not finish her sentence. "I wish him all that is good--and so I wish that you and Monsieur de la Mariniere would send him into the army. He should serve France--should make her his only mistress, at least for the next ten years. Then let him marry, settle down amongst us here--turn against the Emperor, if he chooses--but by that time there will be no danger!"
Thus flattering himself and his master, the Prefect wished her an almost affectionate good night.
In a few minutes more, nearly all the guests were gone. Angelot, still in his quaint acting costume, went out to the court with Monsieur de Sainfoy to see the ladies into their carriages. He then went to change his clothes, his cousin returning to the salon. Hurrying back into the long hall, now empty of servants, vast and rather ghostly with its rows of family portraits dimly lighted, while caverns of darkness showed where pa.s.sages opened and bare stone staircases led up or down, he saw Helene, alone, coming swiftly towards him.
She flew up the stairs, the last landing of which he had just reached on his way down, where it turned sharply under a high barred window.
Meeting Angelot suddenly, she almost screamed, but stopped herself in time. He laughed joyfully; he was wildly excited.
"Ah, belle cousine!" he said softly. "Dear, we shall say good night here better than in the salon!"
Never once, since that hour in the garden ten days ago, had these two met without witnesses. Helene, as a rule, was far too well guarded for that. She tried even now, but not successfully, to keep her rather presumptuous lover at a little distance, but in truth she was too much enchanted to see him, her only friend, for this pretence of coldness to last long. Standing with Angelot"s arms round her, trembling from head to foot with joy and fear, she tried between his kisses and tender words to tell him how indeed he must not stop her, for in real prosaic truth Madame de Sainfoy had sent her off to bed.
"But why, why, dear angel, before we were all gone! It was the best thing that could happen--but why?"
"That is what I do not know, and it frightens me a little," said Helene.
"Frightened here with me!"
"Yes, Angelot!" She tried to speak, but he would hardly let her. She held him back with both hands, and went on hurriedly--"It was mamma"s look--she looked at me so strangely, she spoke severely, as if I had done wrong, and indeed I have, mon Dieu! but she does not know it, and I hope she never may. If she knew, I believe she would kill me. Let me go, I must!"
"One moment, darling! Come away with me! I will fetch a horse and carry you off. Then it won"t matter what any one knows!"
"You are distracted!" Helene began to laugh, though her eyes were full of tears. "Listen, listen," she said. "Your father and mother and uncle were just going, when mamma called them back. She said to papa and them that she wished to consult the family. Oh, what is it all about? What can it be?"
"That matters very little as long as they don"t want us. Let them talk.
What are you afraid of, my sweet?"
"I can"t tell you. I hardly know," murmured Helene; and in the next instant she had s.n.a.t.c.hed herself from him and flown upstairs.
There were quick steps in the hall below, and Monsieur Joseph"s voice was calling "Angelot!"
CHAPTER X
HOW ANGELOT REFUSED WHAT HAD NOT BEEN OFFERED
Madame de Sainfoy herself hardly knew why she wished to consult the family, there and then, on the fate proposed for Helene. The truth was, she relied on Urbain, and wanted his support against her husband, with whom the subject was a difficult one. As to Anne de la Mariniere, no particular sympathy was to be expected from her, certainly; but one could not detain Urbain at that hour without detaining her too. It was the same with Joseph, in a less degree. Neither to him nor to Madame Urbain did it matter in the least what marriage was arranged for Helene de Sainfoy; they had even no right to an opinion; they were neither aunt nor uncle, they had no special place in the world, and the girl had nothing to expect from them. But Madame de Sainfoy knew that her husband took a different view of all this, that he made a certain fuss with these old cousins, considered them as his family, and would not endure that they should be in any way shut out or slighted.
"He likes to be surrounded by these country admirers," Madame de Sainfoy would have said. "If I do not talk to them about this, he will; and it will please him that I should consult them. Urbain is different, of course. Urbain is a sensible man; he will be on my side."
So she put Madame Urbain, rather grave, indifferent, and tired, into a chair on her right, smiled brilliantly upon her, and turned her attention upon the two men standing before the fireplace, Herve and Urbain, one troubled and curious, for he knew her well, and her drift puzzled him, the other gay, serene, and waiting her commands with ready deference. Monsieur Joseph, not much interested, thinking of his talks with the Prefect and Monsieur des Barres, impatient to hurry home and say good night to Riette, sat a little in the background.
With all her eagerness, with all her ambition and policy, Adelade de Sainfoy flushed and hesitated a little before she set forth her plan.
"My friends," she said, "this is a family council. Herve and I are fortunate, here at Lancilly. We need no longer decide family affairs by our una.s.sisted wits."
She smiled on Herve"s cousins, and Urbain bowed; he, at least, recognised the honour that was done them.
"A proposal of marriage has been made to me for our daughter Helene."
She spoke to the company, but looked at her husband; there was fear as well as defiance in her eyes. He returned her gaze steadily, slightly frowning. Urbain bowed again, and looked at the floor with an inscrutable countenance. Anne shrugged her shoulders slightly, as if to say, "How does that concern me?" Joseph jumped suddenly from his chair, the colour rushing into his thin brown face, and stood like a point of exclamation. n.o.body spoke, not even Helene"s father.
"Let me announce to you," said Madame de Sainfoy, still looking at him, "that the personage who has done us this honour is--Monsieur le General Ratoneau."
The moment of dead silence that followed this was broken by a short laugh from the Comte.
"Was it worth while to consult a family council?" he said. "I should have thought, my dear Adelade, that a word from you might have settled that matter on the spot."
Monsieur Joseph said aside: "Honour! It is an insult!"
Anne opened her eyes wide with horror, and even Urbain was startled, but he prudently said nothing.
"It might--it certainly might--" said Madame de Sainfoy, "if I could have been sure that you would take my view, Herve."
"I imagine that we could hardly differ on such a point!" he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"What is your opinion, then? Think well before you speak."
"On my honour, no thought is necessary. To speak very mildly, a man of that birth, manners, appearance, is not worth considering at all as a husband for Helene. Come, it is ridiculous! You cannot have encouraged such an idea, Adelade! Was that the subject of all your long conversation? Waste of time, truly!"
"Pardon, it is not ridiculous," said Madame de Sainfoy. "Your prejudices will end by sending Helene into a convent; this, I believe, is the fourth good proposal that you have laughed at. Yes, a good proposal--listen, Urbain, I know you will agree with me, for every sensible man must. You talk of General Ratoneau"s birth! All honour to him, that his talents and courage have raised him above it. As to his manners, they are those of a soldier; frank and rough, of course, but he seems to me both intelligent and sincere. Manners! It is a little late in the day to talk of them, when most of the Marshals of France and the new n.o.bility have none better. Do you fancy yourself back in the eighteenth century, my poor Herve?"
"Very well--but you would not like Georges to bring such manners home from Spain!"
"If Georges distinguishes himself, and gains the Emperor"s favour, he may bring home what he likes," said Madame de Sainfoy, scornfully.
"However, there is no danger; he is our son."
"I should have thought that our son-in-law mattered at least as much."
"We are not responsible for him. By the bye, as to the General"s appearance, you can hardly object to that without bordering on treason.
For my part, I call him a handsome man."
"A handsome butcher!" said Anne de la Mariniere, under her breath.