"Yes, it was as cheap as dirt!"
"All these make nearly four hundred francs; and then there were purchases at the perfumer"s, gloves, and so forth; and then, we have had to live. So madame sees that she can hardly have more than twenty francs left."
"That is true. Mon Dieu! how the money goes! somebody ought to invent something else, of which one could have more. Well, I must not hesitate any longer; whatever the course of the market, I must sell my Mouzaias!"
Madame de Grangeville ordered her last resources sold; the securities that had cost her two thousand francs produced barely nine hundred. With that sum the baroness"s household went on for some time; but as she still had many debts and the creditors became threatening, it was necessary to give them something on account; and with her mania for gratifying all her fancies, Madame de Grangeville was incapable of economizing. The result was that the end soon came of the proceeds of the Mouzaias, and then she was obliged to forego gratifying her caprices; then she was compelled, in spite of herself, to reflect, to think of the future; and that was appalling for that woman, who had never known how to occupy her time, even in those kinds of work which well-born women do not disdain, and which become a resource when adversity succeeds cloudless days.
Madame de Grangeville was obliged constantly to send to the Mont-de-Piete some article of clothing or some jewel, in order to obtain money. She was surprised at the very small amounts which they advanced on these objects, but Mademoiselle Lizida, who became much less amiable as the resources diminished, did not scruple to say to her mistress:
"Perhaps madame thinks that they will lend her what these cost! madame imagines that the frippery for which she has paid so much has some value. Not much! for example, a bonnet or a hat that madame paid forty francs for at the Temple, they will advance fifteen sous on. And the trouble is that madame bought such things so often; that is what ruined us."
"But that silk dress that you carried to-day to p.a.w.n, Lizida, is not frippery; it is one I bought to go to the Glumeaus" at Nogent--about two months ago; it isn"t worn at all, and it cost me one hundred and twenty francs."
"True, but it"s faded, and there"s spots on it; madame spots her clothes terribly; the design isn"t fashionable any longer, nor is the color; in fact, I shall have difficulty in getting twenty-two francs for it, and that won"t carry us far!"
Madame de Grangeville heaved a profound sigh and said to herself:
"What will happen when I have nothing more to pledge?"
"Oh! you see, madame," rejoined the lady"s maid, becoming more and more familiar, "you didn"t have any tact! when you met your husband in the woods at Nogent, you ought to have made some advances, have smiled graciously on him. A husband who is so rich, dear me! is worth a glance; if you had made eyes at him, it would have flattered him, and he would have come back to you."
"I don"t think so," replied Madame de Grangeville coldly.
"Bless me!" rejoined the lady"s maid; "unless that gentleman has some reasons--well, I don"t know the explanation!"
Meanwhile the summer had given place to the autumn, and already new necessities made themselves felt. Madame was cold in the morning and wanted a fire in her room; but they often lacked wood, and instead of trying to obtain some by playing the amiable with some new dealer, Mademoiselle Lizida thought of nothing but looking for a new place, having no desire to remain at a house where there were no more profits to be had. Anxiety and annoyance aged Madame de Grangeville rapidly. In six weeks she changed more than in six years. The deprivation of a fashionable bonnet or hat was to that woman a sharper grief than all the other events of her life. The wrinkles became more numerous and more visible on her face, and she was forced to go without any of those fashionable gewgaws with which a woman often conceals them. For a coquette, that was the most cruel torture; she had not the courage to endure her ill-fortune, and by worrying over it she made its ravages more rapid.
One morning, when the wind was blowing from the north and the baroness absolutely insisted upon having a fire, Mademoiselle Lizida, having no firewood, had already broken up a chair from the reception room, and several mushroom boxes, with which she was preparing to make a brisk blaze, when the concierge rang, and delivered a letter on which there was nothing to pay.
"A letter for madame," said Lizida, as she handed the missive to her mistress. "Open it, madame; perhaps it"s some good news. If somebody should send you some money, how handily it would work in just now!"
"I don"t expect any," said the baroness.
"An additional reason, madame; when one expects things, they don"t come; when one doesn"t expect them, they come; and then, see what a lovely square letter, with three wax seals."
"That is true."
"And the lovely handwriting; it is like copper-plate."
"Yes, it is probably some circular from a scrivener. However, let us see what it is."
Madame de Grangeville had no sooner torn the envelope than several bank notes fell out; she uttered a cry of surprise, while Mademoiselle Lizida began to dance about the room, crying:
"What did I tell you, madame? Bank notes! fortune is smiling on us again! oh joy!"
"One thousand, two thousand, five hundred--somebody has sent me two thousand five hundred francs!"
"Good! we can go on for some time with that."
"By the way, Lizida, don"t burn the mushroom boxes."
"That"s so; we may use them again."
"Ah! here"s a short letter with the notes; let me see who sends me this money--"Madame, one of your old acquaintances, knowing that fortune is not propitious at this moment, begs you to deign to accept this sum.
Every six months the same person will take the liberty of sending you the same amount."--And no signature."
"Every six months as much! that is rather nice; that makes five thousand francs a year for madame.--Ah! there"s an agreeable acquaintance. But still, it doesn"t surprise me; for madame is so kind, so n.o.ble, so generous when she has money, that it"s no more than fair that somebody should treat her in the same way. I will bet that this comes from someone whom you have previously benefited. Does madame know the writing?"
"Dear me, no! the letter is written in the same hand as the address. It is perfect writing--too good to be the writing of anyone who does not make a business of it."
"So madame does not know, does not guess, from whom this money comes?"
"Oh! I guessed instantly. It"s from the same man who obliged me once before: dear De Merval! what a delicate creature! he does not want to name himself now, he is afraid that I would refuse his help. Ah! how that man loved me, Lizida! why didn"t I marry him?"
"Oh! it"s a gentleman who was once in love with madame, is it?"
"Yes, indeed, much in love!"
"In that case, madame, this means that he is still. He must be a fine man! to send bank notes, and not even be willing to be thanked! there are not many friends so unselfish."
Thanks to this gift, which Madame de Grangeville attributed to Monsieur de Merval, that lady recovered her peace of mind. She had no more anxiety for the future, and she could once more give all her attention to her toilet, while Mademoiselle Lizida became as flattering as before.
It was a few days after this event that Madame de Grangeville received the bouquet which Roncherolle sent her by Chicotin.
The name of Roncherolle could not fail to quicken the beating of the woman"s heart, who for that man"s sake had lost the place in society which she had occupied. For many years she had not heard her former lover"s name; she did not know whether he was still alive; and on learning that he was in Paris, on receiving the bouquet which proved to her that Roncherolle was still gallant, she fancied herself once more in the days of her love-affairs; she persuaded herself that she had not grown old, and she expected to find her lover still as deeply in love as before.
But the gout had prevented the gallant from following the bouquet; and in order not to allow the lady to think that he had forgotten her, we have seen that he ordered Chicotin to call upon Madame de Grangeville again and to present to her this time a bunch of violets.
"I am deeply touched by Monsieur de Roncherolle"s souvenirs," the baroness said to the young messenger. "But although I love bouquets, say to him who sends you that I should much prefer to see him than these flowers. Why does he not come himself?"
Chicotin did not reply: "Because he has the gout;" for Roncherolle had forbidden him to mention that. He said whatever came into his head, and returned to make a report of his errand.
But a few days later, Roncherolle, feeling able to walk, bent his steps toward Madame de Grangeville"s abode.
x.x.xVI
TWO FORMER LOVERS
"Madame, there is a gentleman here who wishes to see you," said Lizida to her mistress one day.
"Did he give his name?"
"He would not; he says that he prefers to afford madame the pleasure of recognizing him."