added the reverend father, angrily, "during the three days that I have not been able to visit the pavilion, one of my servants must have been bought over. There is one of them, a man blind of one eye, whom I have always suspected--the wretch! But no: I will not yet believe this treachery. The consequences would be too deplorable; for I know how matters stand, and that such a correspondence might ruin everything.
By awaking in M. Hardy memories with difficulty laid asleep, they might destroy in a single day all that has been done since he inhabits our house. Luckily, this note contains only doubts and fears; my other information will be more positive, and will not, I hope, confirm them."
"My dear father," said the cardinal, "do not despair. The Lord will not abandon the good cause!"
Father d"Aigrigny seemed very little consoled by this a.s.surance. He remained still and thoughtful, whilst Rodin writhed his head in a paroxysm of mute rage, as he reflected on this new check.
"Let us turn to the last note," said Father d"Aigrigny, after a moment of thoughtful silence. "I have so much confidence in the person who sends it, that I cannot doubt the correctness of the information it contains. May it contradict the others!"
In order not to break the chain of facts contained in this last note, which was to have so startling an effect on the actors in this scene, we shall leave it to the reader"s imagination to supply the exclamations of surprise, hate, rage and fear of Father d"Aigrigny, and the terrific pantomime of Rodin, during the perusal of this formidable doc.u.ment, the result of the observations of a faithful and secret agent of the reverend fathers. Comparing this note with the other information received, the results appeared more distressing to the reverend fathers.
Thus Gabriel had long and frequent conferences with Adrienne, who before was unknown to him. Agricola Baudoin had opened a communication with Francis Hardy, and the officers of justice were on the track of the authors and instigators of the riot which had led to the burning of the factory of Baron Tripeaud"s rival. It seemed almost certain that Mdlle.
de Cardoville had had an interview with Prince Djalma.
This combination of facts showed that, faithful to the threats she had uttered to Rodin, when she had unmasked the double perfidy of the reverend father, Mdlle. de Cardoville was actively engaged in uniting the scattered members of her family, to form a league against those dangerous enemies, whose detestable projects, once unveiled and boldly encountered, could hardly have a chance of success. The reader will now understand the tremendous effect of this note on Father d"Aigrigny and Rodin--on Rodin, stretched powerless on a bed of pain at the moment when the scaffolding, raised with so much labor, seemed to be tumbling around him.
CHAPTER XXIX. THE OPERATION.
We have given up the attempt to paint the countenance, att.i.tude, and gesticulation of Rodin during the reading of this note, which seemed to ruin all his most cherished hopes. Everything was failing at once, at the moment when only superhuman trust in the success of his plans could give him sufficient energy to strive against mortal sickness. A single, absorbing thought had agitated him even to delirium: What progress, during his illness, had been made in this immense affair? He had first heard a good piece of news, the death of Jacques Rennepont; but now the advantages of this decease, which reduced the number of the heirs from seven to six, were entirely lost. To what purpose would be this death, if the other members of the family, dispersed and persecuted with such infernal perseverance, were to unite and discover the enemies who had so long aimed at them in darkness? If all those wounded hearts were to console, enlighten, support each other, their cause would be gained, and the inheritance rescued from the reverend fathers. What was to be done?
Strange power of the human will!--Rodin had one foot in the grave, he was almost at the last gasp; his voice had failed him. And yet that obstinate nature, so full of energy and resources, did not despair.
Let but a miracle restore his health, and that firm confidence in the success of his projects which has given him power to struggle against disease, tells him that he could yet save all--but then he must have health and life! Health! life! His physician does not know if he will survive the shock--if he can bear the pain--of a terrible operation.
Health! life! and just now Rodin heard talk of the solemn funeral they had prepared for him. And yet--health, life, he will have them. Yes; he has willed to live--and he has lived--why should he not live longer? He will live--because he has willed it.
All that we have just written pa.s.sed though Rodin"s mind in a second.
His features, convulsed by the mental torment he endured, must have a.s.sumed a very strange expression, for Father d"Aigrigny and the cardinal looked at him in silent consternation. Once resolved to live, and to sustain a desperate struggle with the Rennepont family, Rodin acted in consequence. For a few moments Father d"Aigrigny and the prelate believed themselves under the influence of a dream. By an effort of unparalleled energy, and as if moved by hidden mechanism, Rodin sprang from the bed, dragging the sheet with him, and trailing it, like a shroud, behind his livid and fleshless body. The room was cold; the face of the Jesuit was bathed in sweat; his naked and bony feet left their moist print upon the stones.
"What are you doing? It is death!" cried Father d"Aigrigny, rushing towards Rodin, to force him to lie down again.
But the latter, extending one of his skeleton arms, as hard as iron, pushed aside Father d"Aigrigny with inconceivable vigor, considering the state of exhaustion in which he had so long been.
"He has the strength of a man in a fit of epilepsy," said Father d"Aigrigny, recovering his balance.
With a steady step Rodin advanced to the desk on which Dr. Baleinier daily wrote his prescriptions. Seating himself before it, the Jesuit took pen and paper, and began to write in a firm hand. His calm, slow, and sure movements had in them something of the deliberateness remarked in somnambulists. Mute and motionless, hardly knowing whether they dreamed or not, the cardinal and Father d"Aigrigny remained staring at the incredible coolness of Rodin, who, half-naked, continued to write with perfect tranquillity.
"But, father," said the Abbe d"Aigrigny, advancing towards him, "this is madness!"
Rodin shrugged his shoulders, stopped him with a gesture and made him a sign to read what he had just written.
The reverend father expected to see the ravings of a diseased brain; but he took the note, whilst Rodin commenced another.
"My lord," exclaimed Father d"Aigrigny, "read this!"
The cardinal read the paper, and returning it to the reverend father with equal amazement, added: "It is full of reason, ability, and resources. We shall thus be able to neutralize the dangerous combination of Abbe Gabriel and Mdlle. de Cardoville, who appear to be the most formidable leaders of the coalition."
"It is really miraculous," said Father d"Aigrigny.
"Oh, my dear father!" whispered the cardinal, shaking his head; "what a pity that we are the only witnesses of this scene! What an excellent MIRACLE we could have made of it! In one sense, it is another Raising of Lazarus!"
"What an idea, my lord!" answered Father d"Aigrigny, in a low voice. "It is perfect--and we must not give it up--"
This innocent little plot was interrupted by Rodin, who, turning his head, made a sign to Father d"Aigrigny to approach, and delivered to him another sheet, with this note attached: "To be executed within an hour."
Having rapidly perused the paper, Father d"Aigrigny exclaimed: "Right!
I had not thought of that. Instead of being fatal, the correspondence between Agricola and M. Hardy may thus have the best results. Really,"
added the reverend father in a low voice to the prelate, while Rodin continued to write, "I am quite confounded. I read--I see--and yet I can hardly believe my eyes. Just before, exhausted and dying--and now with his mind as clear and penetrating as ever. Can this be one of the phenomena of somnambulism, in which the mind alone governs and sustains the body?"
Suddenly the door opened, and Dr. Baleinier entered the room. At sight of Rodin, seated half-naked at the desk, with his feet upon the cold stones, the doctor exclaimed, in a tone of reproach and alarm: "But, my lord--but, father--it is murder to let the unhappy man do this!--If he is delirious from fever, he must have the strait-waistcoat, and be tied down in bed."
So saying. Dr. Baleinier hastily approached Rodin, and took him by the arm. Instead of finding the skin dry and chilly, as he expected, he found it flexible, almost damp. Struck with surprise, the doctor sought to feel the pulse of the left hand, which Rodin resigned, to him, whilst he continued working with the right.
"What a prodigy!" cried the doctor, as he counted Rodin"s pulse; "for a week past, and even this morning, the pulse has been abrupt, intermittent, almost insensible, and now it is firm, regular--I am really puzzled--what then has happened? I can hardly believe what I see," added the doctor, turning towards Father d"Aigrigny and the cardinal.
"The reverend father, who had first lost his voice, was next seized with such furious and violent despair caused by the receipt of bad news,"
answered Father d"Aigrigny, "that we feared a moment for his life; while now, on the contrary, the reverend father has gained sufficient strength to go to his desk, and write for some minutes, with a clearness of argument and expression, which has confounded both the cardinal and myself."
"There is no longer any doubt of it," cried the doctor. "The violent despair has caused a degree of emotion, which will admirably prepare the reactive crisis, that I am now almost certain of producing by the operation."
"You persist in the operation?" whispered Father d"Aigrigny, whilst Rodin continued to write.
"I might have hesitated this morning; but, disposed as he now is for it, I must profit by the moment of excitement, which will be followed by greater depression."
"Then, without the operation--" said the cardinal.
"This fortunate and unexpected crisis will soon be over, and the reaction may kill him, my lord."
"Have you informed him of the serious nature of the operation?"
"Pretty nearly, my lord."
"But it is time to bring him to the point."
"That is what I will do, my lord," said Dr. Baleinier; and approaching Rodin, who continued to write, he thus addressed him, in a firm voice: "My reverend father, do you wish to be up and well in a week?"
Rodin nodded, full of confidence, as much as to say: "I am up already."
"Do not deceive yourself," replied the doctor. "This crisis is excellent, but it will not last, and if we would profit by it, we must proceed with the operation of which I have spoken to you--or, I tell you plainly, I answer for nothing after such a shock."
Rodin was the more struck with these words, as, half an hour ago, he had experienced the short duration of the improvement occasioned by Father d"Aigrigny"s good news, and as already he felt increased oppression on the chest.
Dr. Baleinier, wishing to decide him, added: "In a word, father, will you live or die?"
Rodin wrote rapidly this answer, which he gave to the doctor: "To live, I would let you cut me limb from limb. I am ready for anything." And he made a movement to rise.
"I must tell you, reverend father, so as not to take you by surprise,"
added Dr. Baleinier, "that this operation is cruelly painful."
Rodin shrugged his shoulders and wrote with a firm hand: "Leave me my head; you may take all the rest."