As he raised his head the woman stopped, transfixed.
"Diane?" leaped from the Chevalier"s lips. He caught the back of a chair to steady himself. He was mad, he knew he was mad; it had come at last, this loosing of reason.
CHAPTER XIX
A PAGE FROM MYTHOLOGY BY THE WAY AND A LETTER
A man"s brain can accept only so many blows or surprises at one time; after that he becomes dazed, incapable of lucid thought. At this moment it seemed to the Chevalier that he was pa.s.sing through some extravagant dream. The marquis was unreal; yonder was a vapor a.s.suming the form of a woman. He stared patiently, waiting for the dream to dissolve.
He was staring into a beautiful face, lively, yet possessing that unmarred serenity which the Greeks gave to their female statues; but it was warm as living flesh is warm. Every feature expressed n.o.bility in the catholic sense of the word; the proud, delicate nose, the amiable, curving mouth, the firm chin and graceful throat. In the candle-light the skin had that creamy pallor of porcelain held between the eye and the sun. The hair alone would have been a glory even to a Helen. It could be likened to no color other than that russet gold which lines the chestnut bur. The eyes were of that changing amber of woodland pools in autumn; and a soul lurked in them, a brave, merry soul, more given to song and laughter than to tears. The child of Venus had taken up his abode in this woman"s heart; for to see her was to love her, and to love her was to despair.
The tableau lasted several seconds. She was first to recover; being a woman, her mind moved swifter.
"Do I wear the shield of Perseus, and is the head of Medusa thereupon?
Truly, I have turned Monsieur du Cevennes into stone!"
"Diane, can it be you?" he gasped, seeing that the beautiful vision did not vanish into thin air.
"Diane?" she repeated, moving toward the mantel. "No; not Diane. I am no longer the huntress; I flee. Call me Daphne."
He sprang forward, but she raised her hand warningly.
"Do not come too close, Monsieur, or I shall be forced to change myself into laurel," still keeping hold of the mythological thread.
"What does it all mean? I am dazed!" He covered his eyes, then withdrew his hand. "You are still there? You do not disappear?"
"I am flesh and blood as yet," with low laughter.
"And you are here in Quebec?" advancing, his face radiant with love and joy.
"Take care, or you will stumble against your vanity." Her glance roved toward the door. There was something of madness in the Chevalier"s eyes. In his hands her mask had become a shapeless ma.s.s of silken cloth. "I did not come to Quebec because you were here, Monsieur; though I was perfectly aware of your presence here. That is why I ask you not to stumble against your vanity."
"What do you here, in Heaven"s name?"
"I am contemplating peace and quiet for the remainder of my days. It is quite possible that within a few weeks I shall become . . . a nun."
"A nun?" stupefied.
"The idea seems to annoy you, Monsieur," a chill settling upon her tones.
"Annoy me? No; it terrifies me. G.o.d did not intend you to be a nun; you were born for love. And is there a man in all the world who loves you half as fondly as I? You are here in Quebec! And I never even dared dream of such a possibility!"
"I accompanied a dear friend of mine, whose intention to enter the Ursulines stirred the desire in my own heart. Love? Is any man worthy of a woman"s love? What protestations, what vows to-day! And to-morrow, over a cup of wine, the man boasts of a conquest, and casts about for another victim. It is so."
"You wrote a letter to me," he said, remembering. "It was in quite a different tone." He advanced again.
"Was I so indiscreet?" jestingly, though the rise and fall of her bosom was more than normal. "Monsieur, do not think for the briefest moment that I followed you!"
"I know not what to think. But that letter . . ."
"What did I say?"
"You said that France was large, but that if I loved you I would find you."
"And you searched diligently; you sought the four ends of France?" with quiet sarcasm.
He could find no words.
"Ah! Have you that letter? I should like to read it." She put forth her hand with a little imperious gesture.
He fumbled in his blouse. Had his mind been less blunted he would have thought twice before trusting the missive into her keeping. But he gave it to her docilely. There beat but one thought in his brain: she was here in Quebec.
She took down a candle from the mantel. She read aloud, and her tone was flippant. ""Forgive! How could I have doubted so gallant a gentleman!" What was it I doubted?" puckering her brow. "No matter."
She went on: ""You have asked me if I love you. Find me and put the question. France is large. If you love me you will find me. You have complained that I have never permitted you to kiss me."" She paused, glanced obliquely at the scrawl, and shrugged. "Can it be possible that I wrote this--"I kiss your handsome grey eyes a thousand times"?"
Calmly she folded the letter. "Well, Monsieur, and you searched thoroughly, I have no doubt. This would be an incentive to the most laggard gallant."
"I . . . I was in deep trouble." The words choked him. "I was about to start . . ." He glanced about helplessly.
"And . . . ?" The scorn on her face deepened. He became conscious that the candle and the letter were drawing dangerously close.
"Good G.o.d, Diane! how can I tell you? You would not understand! . . .
What are you doing?" springing toward her to stay her arm. But he was too late. The flame was already eating into the heart of that precious testament.
She moved swiftly, and a table stood between them. He was powerless.
The letter crumbled into black flakes upon the table. She set down the candle, breathing quickly, her amber eyes blazing with triumph.
"That was not honorable. I trusted you."
"I trusted, too, Monsieur; I trusted overmuch. Besides, desiring to become a nun, it would have compromised me."
"Did you come three thousand miles to accomplish this?" anger swelling his tones.
"It was a part of my plans," coolly. "To how many gallants have you shown this ridiculous letter?"
His brain began to clear; for he saw that his love hung in the balance.
"And had I followed you to the four ends of France, had I sought you from town to city and from city to town . . . ?"
"You would have grown thin, Monsieur."
"And mad! For you would have been here in Quebec. And I have kissed that letter a thousand times!"
"Is it possible?"
"Diane . . ."
"I am Diane no longer," she interrupted.