"You are my best friend, and it ought to be so."
"Well, my dear friend, as far as I am concerned, your suit is won--naturally."
"Your mother and sister remain."
"They will be one. You understand that my mother will leave Amelie free to make her own choice; and I need not tell you that if it falls upon you she will be delighted. But there is a person whom you have forgotten."
"Who is that?" said Sir John, in the tone of a man who, having weighed all chances for and against, believes he knows them all, and is met by an obstacle he has never thought of.
"The First Consul," said Roland.
"G.o.d--" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the Englishman, swallowing the last words of the national oath.
"He spoke to me just before I left for the Vendee of my sister"s marriage," continued Roland; "saying that it no longer concerned my mother and myself, for he would take charge of it."
"Then," said Sir John, "I am lost."
"Why so?"
"The First Consul does not like the English."
"Say rather that the English do not like the First Consul."
"But who will present my wishes to the First Consul?"
"I will."
"And will you speak of them as agreeable to yourself?"
"I"ll turn you into a dove of peace between the two nations," said Roland, rising.
"Oh! thank you," cried Sir john, seizing the young man"s hand. Then he added, regretfully, "Must you leave me?"
"My friend, I have only a few hours" leave. I have given one to my mother, two to you, and I owe one to your friend Edouard. I want to kiss him and ask his masters to let him scuffle as he likes with his comrades. Then I must get back to the Luxembourg."
"Well, take him my compliments, and tell him I have ordered another pair of pistols for him, so that the next time he is attacked by bandits he needn"t use the conductor"s."
Roland looked at Sir John.
"Now, what is it?" he asked.
"What! Don"t you know?"
"No. What is it I don"t know?"
"Something that nearly killed our poor Amelie?"
"What thing?"
"The attack on the diligence."
"But what diligence?"
"The one which your mother was in."
"The diligence my mother was in?"
"Yes."
"The diligence my mother was in was attacked?"
"You have seen Madame de Montrevel, and she didn"t tell you?"
"Not a word about that, anyway."
"Well, my dear Edouard proved a hero; as no one else defended the coach, he did. He took the conductor"s pistols and fired."
"Brave boy!" exclaimed Roland.
"Yes, but, unluckily or luckily the conductor had taken the precaution to remove the bullets. Edouard was praised and petted by the Companions of Jehu as the bravest of the brave; but he neither killed nor wounded them."
"Are you sure of what you are telling me?"
"I tell you your sister almost died of fright."
"Very good," said Roland.
"How very good?" exclaimed Sir John.
"I mean, all the more reason why I should see Edouard."
"What makes you say that."
"A plan."
"Tell me what it is."
"Faith! no. My plans don"t turn out well for you."
"But you know, my dear Roland, that if there are any reprisals to make--"
"I shall make them for both. You are in love, my dear fellow; live in your love."
"You promise me your support?"
"That"s understood! I am most anxious to call you brother."
"Are you tired of calling me friend?"