"That is for me a prophetic day, and more, it is the anniversary of my birth, my dear abbe, so give me your evening on that day and you will not regret having come."
"Very well, then, the twentieth of November, if my health--"
"Permits you,--well understood, my dear abbe; but my experience tells me that you will be able to drag yourself to see me on that day."
"What a man. He is capable of giving me a perfect example, in his big own d.a.m.ned person, of the seven capital sins."
At this moment the door opened.
It was on this door, more than once, that the glances of Abbe Ledoux had been turned with secret and growing impatience, during his conversation with the doctor.
CHAPTER V.
The abbe"s housekeeper, having entered the chamber, handed a letter to her master, and, exchanging with him a look of intelligence, said:
"It is very urgent, M. abbe."
"Permit me, doctor?" said the holy man, before breaking the seal of the letter he held in his hand.
"At your convenience, my dear abbe," replied the doctor, rising from his seat; "I must leave you now."
"I pray you, just a word!" cried the abbe, who seemed especially anxious that the doctor should not depart so soon. "Give me time to glance over this letter, and I am at your service."
"But, abbe, we have nothing more to say to each other. I have an urgent consultation, and the hour is--"
"I implore you, doctor," insisted the abbe, breaking the seal and running his eyes over the letter he had just received, "in the name of Heaven, give me only five minutes, not more."
Surprised at this singular persistence on the part of the abbe, the doctor hesitated to go out, when the invalid, discontinuing his reading of the letter, raised his eyes to heaven and exclaimed:
"Ah, my G.o.d, my G.o.d!"
"What is the matter?"
"Ah, my poor doctor!"
"Finish what you have to say."
"Ah, doctor, it was Providence that sent you here."
"Providence!"
"Yes, because I find it in my power to render you a great service, perhaps."
The physician appeared to be a little doubtful of the good-will of Abbe Ledoux, and accepted his words not without a secret distrust.
"Let us see, my dear abbe," replied he, "what service can you render me?"
"You have sometimes spoken to me of your sister"s numerous children, whom you have raised (notwithstanding your faults, wicked man) with paternal tenderness, after the early death of their parents."
"Go on, abbe," said the doctor, fixing a penetrating gaze on the saintly man, "go on."
"I was altogether ignorant that one of your nephews served in the navy, and had been made captain. His name is Horace Bremont, is it not?"
At the name of Horace, the doctor started, imperceptibly; his gaze seemed to penetrate to the depth of the abbe"s heart, and he replied, coldly:
"I have a nephew who is captain in the navy and his name is Horace."
"And he is now in Paris?"
"Or elsewhere, abbe."
"For G.o.d"s sake, let us talk seriously, my dear doctor, the time is precious. See here what has been written to me and you will judge of the importance of the letter.
""M. ABBe:--I know that you are very intimate with the celebrated Doctor Gasterini; you can render him a great service. His nephew, Captain Horace, is compromised in a very disagreeable affair; although he has succeeded in hiding himself up to this time, his retreat has been discovered and perhaps, at the moment that I am writing to you, his person has been seized.""
The abbe stopped and looked attentively at the doctor.
The doctor remained impa.s.sible.
Surprised at this indifference, the abbe said, in a pathetic tone:
"Ah, my poor doctor, what cruel suffering for you! But what has this unfortunate captain done?"
"I know nothing about it, abbe, continue."
Evidently the saintly man expected another result of the reading of his letter. However, not allowing himself to be disconcerted, he continued:
""Perhaps at this moment his person has been seized,"" repeated he, laying stress on these words, and going on with the letter. ""But there remains one chance of saving this young man who is more thoughtless than culpable; you must, upon the reception of this letter, send some one immediately to Doctor Gasterini.""
And, stopping again, the abbe added:
"As I told you, doctor, Providence sent you here."
"It has never done anything else for my sake," coldly replied the doctor. "Go on, abbe."
""You must, upon the reception of this letter, send immediately to Doctor Gasterini,"" repeated the abbe, more and more surprised at the impa.s.sibility of the physician, and his indifference to the misfortune which threatened his nephew. ""The doctor must send some person in whom he has confidence, without losing a minute, to warn Captain Horace to leave his retreat. Perhaps in this way he may get the start of the officers about to arrest this unfortunate young man."
"I need not say more to you, my dear doctor," hastily added the abbe, throwing the letter on the bed. "A minute"s delay may lose all. Run, quick, save this unhappy young man! What! You do not move; you do not reply! What are you thinking of, my poor doctor? Why do you look at me with such a strange expression? Did you not hear what has been written to me? And it is underlined, too. "He must go instantly, without losing a minute, to warn Captain Horace to leave his retreat." Really, doctor, I do not understand you."
"But I understand you perfectly, my dear abbe," said the doctor, with sardonic calmness. "But, upon honour, this expedient is really not up to the height of your usual inventions; you have done better than that, abbe, much better."