come here! It is I whom he loves, it is I whom he wants to marry--and he knows that I will never refuse him!"
Madeleine was not far away. Servants are never far from people who are talking. She came skipping into the room like a crazy person, for she was really happy in her mistress"s happiness.
"We were just talking about you when you came, monsieur," she said to Gustave; "I often talk about you to mamzelle, because I have found that that"s the best way to make her listen to me. _Dame!_ I"m from the country, but I guessed, all the same, what made mamzelle so sad; and now I"m sure that she"ll be happy like me! and that she"ll sing and dance like me!"
Monsieur Gerbault"s arrival put an end to Madeleine"s antics. He was surprised, as usual, to find Gustave in his house; but he was especially impressed on this occasion by the joy and happiness which he read on every face.
"Bless my soul!" he said, shaking hands with Gustave; "are you just back from the war, my friend? At all events, you have received a wound which proves that you don"t turn your back on the foe."
"No, monsieur; it"s the result of a duel. I am not quarrelsome, as you know, but a man cannot always be sure of himself."
"Have you returned to Paris for some time?"
"For always! I have no further desire to travel. My uncle, who is good enough to say that I understand the business very well, told me yesterday that he would make me his partner."
"The deuce! that"s very nice, indeed; for your uncle"s business is very extensive, I believe?"
"His profits never fall below sixty thousand francs a year."
"Of which you will have half. That makes you a rich _parti!_--Talking of _partis_, Adolphine, I have another one to propose to you; and this time perhaps you will accept, for you surely don"t intend to die an old maid."
Adolphine looked anxiously at her father; Gustave himself had a vague feeling of apprehension. Monsieur Gerbault eyed them both with a sly expression, and continued:
"Yes, my child; a new suitor has come forward. He will never see twenty-five again, and he is not very rich; but he has a competence and an honorable position in society. It is Monsieur Batonnin."
"Monsieur Batonnin! Oh! I won"t marry him. I won"t marry anybody--that is to say--any of those who----"
Gustave made haste to interrupt Adolphine, and, going up to Monsieur Gerbault, said to him with the utmost seriousness:
"Monsieur, a long time ago I was to have been your son-in-law.
Circ.u.mstances prevented it, and, if I must confess it, I think that I have every reason to thank destiny therefor. To-day, I come once more to ask your permission to become a member of your family. Mademoiselle Adolphine has consented to be my wife, and something tells me that she will not retract her word."
"Yes, father, yes.--Oh! I can"t refuse Gustave. And you are willing that he should be my husband, aren"t you?"
"Especially," replied Monsieur Gerbault, as he embraced his daughter, "especially as you have loved him for a long time!"
"What, father! you knew it? How strange! I never told anyone my secret."
"But a father"s eyes are sharp-sighted, dear heart; and now I trust that you will recover your good spirits."
"Oh! father, I am so happy!"
"Take her, Gustave; she will not throw you over for another man. For, even when she could not possibly hope to be your wife, she refused all offers in order to be at liberty to love you. As for Monsieur Batonnin, I was sure beforehand of your reply; but, in order to soften your refusal, I will tell him that he came too late, because you are going to marry Gustave."
LXII
TERTIA SOLVET
The marriage of Gustave and Adolphine had been decided for four days; and as they were in great haste to be united and to make sure at last of a happiness which had constantly eluded the grasp of one, and which the other had never hoped to attain, they were hurrying forward the indispensable preliminaries to the celebration of their union.
Monsieur Grandcourt did not make a wry face when his nephew told him of the new choice he had made; on the contrary, he congratulated him.
"That one is all right," he said; "she"s a charming girl, with all the good qualities which her sister lacks; therefore, she has a great many."
More than once, while her young mistress was trying on the gowns and jewels which were brought to her, Madeleine cried:
"Oh! mamzelle, how lovely you will look as a bride! But there"s your sister! When she knows who you"re going to marry, won"t she make a row?"
"Hush, Madeleine, don"t talk about my sister! I have a sort of feeling that she is going to interfere with my happiness again."
"Nonsense! There"s no danger of that, mamzelle; I"ll answer for Monsieur Gustave!"
They were conversing one morning in this same strain, when someone rang the doorbell violently.
"Mon Dieu! if it were she!" exclaimed Adolphine.
"Your sister? Well, if it is, she won"t eat us."
It proved to be f.a.n.n.y, who entered her sister"s room with an insolent air, crying:
"What does this mean? Who ever heard of such a thing? Monsieur Gustave in Paris a whole week, I hear, and no one lets me know! And that tall scamp of a Cherami a.s.sured me that he was going to Russia! Ah! I"ll fix him when I see him! Haven"t you seen Gustave? Hasn"t he been here?"
"Why, yes," Adolphine replied, trying to conceal her emotion, "he has been here. He comes every day."
"And you couldn"t send me word?"
"I have been to your house several times. You are always out."
"You might have written me a line."
"But I could not guess that you were so anxious to see Gustave, after your treatment of him."
"Oh! my dear girl, I beg you not to bore me by going all over that! What has pa.s.sed is a dream; but what has not been done may still be done."
"I don"t understand you."
"I understand myself, and that"s enough. How is Gustave now? still sad and depressed?"
"Oh! not at all. He is cheerful and light-hearted; he"s not the same man. You wouldn"t recognize him."
"Indeed! he"s cheerful, is he?"
"And then, he has a beautiful scar across his face; it gives him a martial air, it"s very becoming to him."
"Perhaps that is what makes his spirits so good. So he has been fighting duels, has he?"