"Have you informed my mother of M. de Breulh-Faverlay"s arrival?" asked she, as the footman appeared at the door.
"I have not, mademoiselle; for both the Count and Countess gave the strictest order that they were not to be disturbed on any pretext whatsoever."
"Why did you not tell me that before?" demanded M. de Breulh; and, without waiting for any explanation, he bowed gravely to Sabine, and quitted the room, after apologizing for his involuntary intrusion, and by his manner permitted all the domestics to see that he was much put out.
"Ah!" sighed Sabine, "that man is worthy of some good and true woman"s affection."
As she was about to leave the room, she heard some one insisting upon seeing the Count de Mussidan. Not being desirous of meeting strangers, she remained where she was. The servant persisted in saying that his master could receive no one.
"What do I care for your orders?" cried the visitor; "your master would never refuse to see his friend the Baron de Clinchain;" and, thrusting the lackey on one side, he entered the drawing-room; and his agitation was so great that he hardly noticed the presence of the young girl.
M. de Clinchain was a thoroughly commonplace looking personage in face, figure, and dress, neither tall nor short, handsome nor ill-looking. The only noticeable point in his attire was that he wore a coral hand on his watch chain; for the Baron was a firm believer in the evil eye. When a young man, he was most methodical in his habits; and, as he grew older, this became an absolute mania with him. When he was twenty, he recorded in his diary the pulsations of his heart, and at forty he added remarks regarding his digestion and general health.
"What a fearful blow!" murmured he; "and to fall at such a moment when I had indulged in a more hearty dinner than usual. I shall feel it for the next six months, even if it does not kill me outright."
Just then M. de Mussidan entered the room, and the excited man ran up to him, exclaiming,--
"For Heaven"s sake, Octave, save us both, by cancelling your daughter"s engagement with M. de--"
The Count laid his hand upon his friend"s lips.
"Are you mad?" said he; "my daughter is here."
In obedience to a warning gesture, Sabine left the room; but she had heard enough to fill her heart with agitation and terror. What engagement was to be cancelled, and how could such a rupture affect her father or his friend? That there was some mystery, was proved by the question with which the Count had prevented his friend from saying any more. She was sure that it was the name of M. de Breulh-Faverlay with which the Baron was about to close his sentence, and felt that the destiny of her life was to be decided in the conversation about to take place between her father and his visitor. It was deep anxiety that she felt, not mere curiosity; and while these thoughts pa.s.sed through her brain, she remembered that she could hear all from the card-room, the doorway of which was only separated from the drawing-room by a curtain.
With a soft, gliding step she gained her hiding-place and listened intently. The Baron was still pouring out his lamentations.
"What a fearful day this has been!" groaned the unhappy man. "I ate much too heavy a breakfast, I have been terribly excited, and came here a great deal too fast. A fit of pa.s.sion caused by a servant"s insolence, joy at seeing you, then a sudden interruption to what I was going to say, are a great deal more than sufficient to cause a serious illness at my age."
But the Count, who was usually most considerate of his friend"s foibles, was not in a humor to listen to him.
"Come, let us talk sense," said he sharply; "tell me what has occurred."
"Occurred!" groaned De Clinchain; "oh, nothing, except that the whole truth is known regarding what took place in the little wood so many years back. I had an anonymous letter this morning, threatening me with all sorts of terrible consequences if I do not hinder you from marrying your daughter to De Breulh. The rogues say that they can prove everything."
"Have you the letter with you?"
De Clinchain drew the missive from his pocket. It was to the full as threatening as he had said; but M. de Mussidan knew all its contents beforehand.
"Have you examined your diary, and are the three leaves really missing?"
"They are."
"How were they stolen? Are you sure of your servants?"
"Certainly; my valet has been sixteen years in my service. You know Lorin? The volumes of my diary are always locked up in the escritoire, the key of which never leaves me. And none of the other servants ever enter my room."
"Some one must have done so, however."
Clinchain struck his forehead, as though an idea had suddenly flashed across his brain.
"I can partly guess," said he. "Some time ago Lorin went for a holiday, and got drunk with some fellows he picked up in the train. Drink brought on fighting, and he was so knocked about that he was laid up for some weeks. He had a severe knife wound in the shoulder and was much bruised."
"Who took his place?"
"A young fellow that my groom got at a servants" registry office."
M. de Mussidan felt that he was on the right track, for he remembered that the man who had called on him had had the audacity to leave a card, on which was marked:
"B. MASCARIN,
"Servants" Registry Office, "Rue Montorgueil."
"Do you know where this place is?" asked he.
"Certainly; in the Rue du Dauphin nearly opposite to my house."
The Count swore a deep oath. "The rogues are very wily; but, my dear fellow if you are ready, we will defy the storm together."
De Clinchain felt a cold tremor pa.s.s through his whole frame at this proposal.
"Not I," said he; "do not try and persuade me. If you have come to this decision, let me know at once, and I will go home and finish it all with a pistol bullet."
He was just the sort of nervous, timorous man to do exactly as he said, and would sooner have killed himself than endure all kinds of annoyance, which might impair his digestion.
"Very well," answered his friend, with sullen resignation, "then I will give in."
De Clinchain heaved a deep sigh of relief, for he, not knowing what had pa.s.sed before, had expected to have had a much more difficult task in persuading his friend.
"You are acting like a reasonable man for once in your life," said he.
"You think so, because I give ear to your timorous advice. A thousand curses on that idiotic habit of yours of putting on paper not only your own secrets, but those of others."
But at this remark Clinchain mounted his hobby.
"Do not talk like that," said he. "Had you not committed the act, it would not have appeared in my diary."
Chilled to the very bone, and quivering like an aspen leaf, Sabine had listened to every word. The reality was even more dreadful than she had dreamed of. There was a hidden sorrow, a crime in her father"s past life.
Again the Count spoke. "There is no use in recrimination. We cannot wipe out the past, and must, therefore, submit. I promise you, on my honor, that this day I will write to De Breulh, and tell him this marriage must be given up."
These words threw the balm of peace and safety into De Clinchain"s soul, but the excess of joy was too much for him, and murmuring, "Too much breakfast, and the shock of too violent an emotion," he sank back, fainting, on a couch.
The Count de Mussidan was terrified, he pulled the bell furiously, and the domestics rushed in, followed by the Countess. Restoratives were applied, and in ten minutes the Baron opened one eye, and raised himself on his elbow.
"I am better now," said he, with a faint smile. "It is weakness and dizziness. I know what I ought to take--two spoonfuls of _eau des carmes_ in a gla.s.s of sugar and water, with perfect repose of both mind and body. Fortunately, my carriage is here. Pray, be prudent, Mussidan."
And, leaning upon the arm of one of the lackeys, he staggered feebly out, leaving the Count and Countess alone, and Sabine still listening from her post of espial in the card-room.